A kangaroo in pants? That’s not a joke — and now it’s a full-blown manhunt.
Authorities in central Wisconsin are scrambling after a petting zoo kangaroo named Chesney pulled off what officials are calling a “full-on prison break,” vanishing into the wild and leaving behind a trail of stunned locals.
The unexpected escape happened Wednesday afternoon at Sunshine Farm in Necedah, about 90 miles north of Madison. Since then, Chesney has been spotted hopping through neighborhoods and wooded areas — described by police as moving “like he’s training for the Olympics.”
And yes, this isn’t just any kangaroo.
Chesney has gone viral for previously rocking a pair of denim pants — though in a twist that somehow makes this story even stranger, he reportedly ditched the outfit before making his getaway.
His owner says the marsupial got spooked and bolted from his enclosure just after noon. Since then, it’s been a frantic search effort involving drones, multiple sightings, and a growing sense that Chesney could be anywhere.
“He could be anywhere,” the owner warned on social media, noting the kangaroo is currently without his diaper — making it even harder to track him in the dense Wisconsin woods.
Officials are urging residents to stay alert — but not to approach.
“Please be careful with him,” the Juneau County Sheriff’s Office said. “And please don’t challenge him to a boxing match.”
While the situation may sound like something straight out of a movie, owning a kangaroo is actually legal in Wisconsin — and Chesney isn’t the first runaway roo to cause chaos in the U.S.
Just last year, another kangaroo named Sheila shut down part of an Alabama highway after escaping and hopping along Interstate 85 before being safely captured.
For now, though, Chesney remains on the loose — turning quiet Wisconsin countryside into the setting of one of the wildest animal escapes in recent memory.
And somewhere out there, a pants-wearing kangaroo is still on the run.
