Police said officers caught a kangaroo-like animal in Peru, Illinois Wednesday after the town went on a two-hour chase.
Wally the male Wallaroo, which is between the the size of a kangaroo and a wallaby, was loose in Peru starting at around 1:15 p.m., police said.
According to officials, police officers, firefighters, local residents and city employees tracked the animal through the Route 6 business district and along Illinois Route 251, then to the "river bottoms."
A video was posted to Facebook at around 1:30 p.m. showing Wally jumping through a resident's yard.
"Without warning Wally jumped into the river and attempted to swim across from the north shore to the south shore," police said.
Officials said Wally was pulled from the cold and turbulent Illinois River by a passing fishing boat crew and brought to shore where city employees took custody of him. The city workers turned Wally over to police who rushed him to Bridgeview Veterinary Clinic in Peru.
“It would be very difficult to explain how this crazy adventure affected so many people and how all of the police, fire, city employees and so many citizens were cheering for a rescue before it was too late. With only seconds to spare the rescue was made," Peru Police Chief Doug Bernabei said.
Local
Police added that Wally is lawfully owned and possessed by a state permit.
"Today was one of the better days of 2020!" Bernabei said.
