Owner: Wallaroo on the run for a couple weeks
Photo of a Wallaroo. This is not the exact animal that's on the loose, but looks similar.
CHITTENANGO -- The Chittenango owner of a Wallaroo says his animal which was spotted on the edge of the New York State Thruway this afternoon is still on the loose. Drivers began calling State Police with reports of the animal indigenous to Australia. Police notified Jeffrey Taylor who runs a petting zoo nearby. Taylor tried to apprehend the Wallaroo, but failed.
Taylor says the Wallaroo is not a danger to the public, but people should not approach it because it scares easily. The Town of Sullivan Animal Control Officer plans to assist Taylor with a Have a Heart animal trap to see if they can safely capture the creature. The State DEC is investigating. Animal Control confirms Taylor does have a USDA license to harbor animals like a Wallaroo.
Taylor says he hopes he does not get bad publicity from the animal's escape. He has not had any past issues with caring for his animals. He has run a petting zoo at OzFest in Chittenango. He has recently been doing renovations to his Lakeport Road property to open an animal educational center. He has not named the Wallaroo, but is now considering calling him Bandit.
