Officials Investigate Pet Kangaroo In Edgewater

Earlier this month, Maryland Natural Resources Police and Anne Arundel County Animal Services responded to an unusual call in Edgewater: reports of a pet kangaroo living in a neighborhood.

On the afternoon of Sept. 9, officers arrived at a property on Pocahontas Drive and, to their surprise, found the marsupial roaming behind a wire fence. Photos shared on Facebook by Natural Resources Police showed Sgt. Ron Collier and Officer Tyson Johnson posing with the animal, which they described as “friendly, cooperative, and ultimately avoiding any charges.”

While the kangaroo may have been well-behaved, questions about whether it could legally remain there quickly surfaced. Anne Arundel County prohibits residents from owning exotic pets, though county Animal Services Director Claudia Roll noted that Marylanders might be able to obtain a state permit for such animals.

“The kangaroo was not seized pending possible efforts to get a state permit,” Roll said.

Natural Resources Police, however, said they were stepping back from the case. Spokesperson Hunter Dortenzo explained that the agency is “not apprised of a law that is being violated,” since Maryland bans crocodiles, monkeys, non-domestic cats and dogs, and venomous snakes—but not kangaroos.

“There may be a permitting process via USDA,” Dortenzo added.

The incident follows other sightings of kangaroos in Maryland. In 2023, residents of Baltimore’s Reservoir Hill debated whether they’d seen a baby kangaroo—or just an urban fox—wandering their neighborhood.

For Roll, who has worked in animal welfare for three decades, the Edgewater call was still a surprise.

“When I first heard about it, I wondered if it was April 1,” she said. “I’ve learned to expect the unexpected, and this is a new one.”

Officials Investigate Pet Kangaroo In Edgewater  was originally published on wolbbaltimore.com