Baxter the kangaroo okay after being released by a parrot

ZACHARY – A kangaroo is safe at home with it’s owners after hopping around East Baton Rouge Parish Wednesday.

No, it’s not something you see everyday. People who did see the kangaroo, named Baxter, say they were in disbelief.

“We saw it and we very shocked,” Braden Nelson said.

Braden and Ethan Nelson say they were driving down Port Hudson Pride Road around 11 on Wednesday morning when they noticed something race by in a drainage ditch.

“He said, ‘there’s a kangaroo on the side of the road!’ I was like what are you talking about? I turn around, and sure enough, there was a kangaroo,” Ethan said.

The brothers say they first though it was a dog until they realized it only had two legs.

“He was going fast, just hopping in the ditch. He was gone within 30 seconds,” Braden said.

Where did the kangaroo come from? not too far from where they spotted him.

Baxter lives with more than a dozen parrots being taken care of by the owners of a non-profit specializing in releasing wild birds into their natural habitats called Bird Recovery International.

The owners say Baxter’s bird brother, Thor, recently figured out how to open the door to the enclosure.

I asked the parrot why did he do it, and he responded, “Birds don’t talk.”

Baxter was spotted by law enforcement hours after Thor released him. An East Baton Rouge sheriff’s deputy was able to keep him close with peanut butter until the owners picked him up near Machost Road.

His owners are beyond thankful Baxter is home safe. They went into a panic as soon as they realized he was missing.

The boys are still in shock as to what they saw.

“I slowed down, there was no one else on the road, and we just watched it for a little while until it went into the woods,” Braden said.

While you can buy a kangaroo from a breeder here in Louisiana, Wildlife and Fisheries say, it is illegal to have an exotic animal as a pet.

Baxter’s owners previously owned a zoo, and now operate a non-profit.