Cletus is shown on the left while still free and then after he was captured by the Cape May County Zoo staff. (Courtesy of Cape May County Government Facebook page)
Officers with the Cape May County Sheriff’s Office and Middle Township Police Department were on the lookout for an unusual “escape artist.”
The description? Well, think of a miniature kangaroo.
An intense search was launched to find the runaway male wallaby, named Cletus.
Fortunately, Cletus was rounded up Tuesday and brought back home safe and sound after escaping overnight from his enclosure at the Cape May County Zoo.
“Zoo officials have already begun an investigation to determine exactly how Cletus found himself on the wrong side of the wallaby enclosure,” according to a post on the Cape May County Government Facebook page announcing the wallaby’s capture.
Zoo staff alerted the Cape May County Sheriff’s Office after Cletus made his break for freedom in the Sandcastle Drive neighborhood near the zoo in the Cape May Court House section of Middle Township.
Middle Township police officers also responded to help the zoo staff find and capture the 2-year-old wallaby.
“Thank you for helping keep our community and this little escape artist safe!” the Cape May County Government Facebook post said.
Wallabies are part of the marsupial family and generally resemble miniature kangaroos.
Cletus’s escape prompted the inevitable humorous comments on Facebook, as well as more serious posts expressing relief that he was found unharmed.
“Even the animals want outta Jersey,” wrote Heather Gandy.
“He was just spotted at a No Kangaroos protest,” posted Thomas Alan Broido.
“I heard he is back! He saw the gas prices!” Sue Jane wrote, referring to the soaring cost of fuel caused by the U.S. war with Iran.
