WHO: A kangaroo who lives in Wimberley

WHAT: This escaped fugitive remains at large in the Hill Country

WHY IT’S SO GREAT: On Wednesday afternoon, consternation spread through Wimberley after a kangaroo went AWOL from Trails End Ranch, an exotic wildlife ranch on the town’s outskirts. At first the Hays County Constable’s Office struggled to determine whether the calls they were receiving about the creature  were pranks. But after several reports from residents who’d spotted it in their yards, officials were forced to reckon with the truth: There was, indeed, a marsupial on the loose.

A neighborhood Facebook post spread the word, urging anyone in the area to keep an eye out. (One commenter asked: “What kind what color what sex?” presumably to ensure that she didn’t get the owner’s hopes up by reporting a different stray kangaroo hopping around the Hill Country.) News of kangaroo encounters continued to filter in throughout the day. One person called police after noticing the animal on his porch, but it had bounded off to its next adventure before help arrived.

Hays County Constable Ray Helm posted video of his attempts to rescue the kangaroo via Facebook Live:

While Helm didn’t bring the beast to justice, there’s plenty of footage of the kangaroo leading the peace officer on a chase. Helm told Fox 7 Austin that he’s confident that it isn’t in danger. “We just want to keep him out of the roads,” he said. Ranch owner Roy Dale told KVUE that the kangaroo likely escaped by leaping over a cattle grid at the ranch’s entrance. “I didn’t think he could jump that far,” he said. Dale is out of town at a different exotic ranch he owns in West Texas, planning to return Friday to corral the critter. Until then, the kangaroo will likely continue his walkabout hopabout.