Law Enforcement Called After Marsupial Spotted Loose in Colorado

In late January of 2026, law enforcement received a call that was far from common in Colorado, as callers informed the sheriff’s department that they believed they’d spotted a kangaroo hopping around the neighborhood.

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While this was not a prank call, the animal that had escaped wasn’t a kangaroo, but it was an animal native to Australia, nonetheless, and similar in many ways.

Wallaby Spotted Hopping Around a Colorado Neighborhood

The animal was spotted hopping around a neighborhood in the Denver suburb of Highlands Ranch in Douglas County on January 29, 2026. Upon receiving the call, Douglas County Sheriff’s Deputies arrived on the scene and discovered that the escapee was a wallaby, which is a marsupial native to Australia and shares traits with kangaroos.

The small marsupial isn’t just any wallaby, but rather a famous wallaby who has his own Instagram and YouTube pages.

It’s unclear how Charlie escaped; luckily, he was rescued and returned to his owners, where he was given mango. The whole ordeal was caught on body cameras worn by the deputies who were called to find Charlie, as you can see here.

This was far from an ordinary day for the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department, as the officers can be heard commenting on the surprise that came with seeing the description of the call on the “board,” and one officer can be heard exclaiming that the call was likely going to be the “highlight of [his] year.”

Read More: Seizure of 17 Roosters Trained to Fight Takes Place in Colorado

Check out the full story with photos of Charlie from 9NEWS here.