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You don’t need to be a kangaroo expert to know the animals aren’t native to the United States, and zoos are really the only place you’ll encounter them in America. However, some people in Alabama got a very unexpected surprise courtesy of one that shut down a highway for three hours and led authorities on a chase after causing a crash.
Kangaroos are inextricably linked to the continent of Australia (although they can also be found in the wild in Papua New Guinea), and many people who live in The Land Down Under have regular encounters with the marsupials that actually outnumber the country’s residents (an estimated 45 million vs. 26.6 million).
The animals are basically Australia’s version of deer when you consider they’re responsible for thousands of car crashes each year and account for upwards of 90% of insurance claims filed in the country due to a collision with an animal.
While I can’t find any concrete evidence to back up this claim, I’m going to assume there were a grand total of zero car accidents that could be blamed on kangaroos in Alabama last year (as well as in the entire history of the state).
However, according to the Associated Press, the total for 2025 rose to one on Tuesday courtesy of Sheila, a kangaroo that managed to escape from an enclosure in Auburn before causing some chaos after making her way to Interstate 85.
Police received a call shortly before noon after two motorists collided with each other while attempting to avoid the kangaroo that led to the highway being shut down for three hours as they attempted to wrangle the animal that resides at a nearby pumpkin patch and petting zoo owned by a man named Patrick Starr (yes, that’s really his name).
Sheila was eventually tranquilized before being transported to the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine for evaluation, and Starr told the outlet she was back to eating and drinking like normal after emerging from the ordeal unscathed.