Watch CBS News

Pet Wallaroo Missing In DeKalb County

KINGSTON, Ill (CBS) -- You might think you're in Australia, if you come across an unusual animal that's on the loose in DeKalb County.
 
Dekalb Sheriff's Chief Deputy Gary Dumdie with the sheriff's office said he'd never heard of a wallaroo.

"I actually had to look it up myself when I received the first call on it, just to see what they look like," he said.

Pet Wallaroo Missing In DeKalb County

Wallaroos, native to Australia, are marsupials that are similar to kangaroos, but smaller. The Cleveland family in the rural town of Kingston got one as a pet a few months ago, but now the 14-month-old baby named Willow has disappeared from their home.

Dumdie said Willow's probably more scared than dangerous.

"They suggest just tossing a blanket over it and it'll kind of roll up in a ball and that's one way that it could be caught. Another would be just to hold a basket out," he said. "A lot of times their instinct will kick in that it's their mother's pouch and they'll just jump right into it."

Dumdie says they've gotten a few reports from people who think they've seen the 2-foot-tall wallaroo, but so far none have panned out.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.