Wisconsin Overrun by 'Roos?

[RoadDog]

Let's file this under, "Something Else You Don't Expect to See on a Road."

Most people know to be keenly aware of wayward deer when cruising the highways and byways of Wisconsin. Also beware of other varmints like raccoons, foxes, and even coyotes that take to the road. But now Badger drivers have one more animal to share the asphalt with and that is one you'd expect to encounter in Australia. I speak of kangaroos. Yes, those long-tailed giant rats with the funny little pouches have been caught and hit in the Dairy State.

According to the Associated Press, a driver near Mauston, a town about 75 miles northwest of Madison, hit a 50 pound kangaroo this past week. Ralph Hamm was really surprised when he hit it and has received permission from the Wisconsin DNR to keep it. I can just imagine his insurance agent's look when he turned in his claim. "You had an accident with a what?" This would make a great Bob Newhart telephone bit.

Hamm is thinking of stuffing it so people will believe him. No one as of yet has come forward to claim it, but I could imagine someone turning in a missing kangaroo report to the local police.

The Wisconsin State Journal of Madison reports that kangaroos have become somewhat of an annual occurrence in the state. In January, a 130 pound kangaroo was taken into custody near Dodgeville, about 45 miles west of Madison. It is currently in a zoo.

Looks like Wisconsin might be in the need of Crocodile Dundee.

Keep on Down that Two Lane Highway. -- RoadDog

[AZBuck]

Thanks for the report! Reminds me that there was perhaps no better general advice than the tag to the opening of Hill Street Blues - "Let's be careful out there, people." I'm also old enough to remember Bob's telephone routnes, a lost art.

AZBuck

[PNW Judy]

Wow...I think I'd be so shocked if I saw a kangaroo bounding into the road in front of me that I'd forget to try any evasive actions. How bizarre!

[Midwest Michael]

The latest kanagroo was actually a wallabee, although no one around here really knows the difference. More importantly, the guy who hit it is keeping it in his freezer until he can have it mounted. One of my co-workers got to see the frozen kanga-corpse last weekend.

The other one was actually a Kanagroo, and is on display at the Vilas Zoo in Madison. The video of that one jumping through the snow until it was corralled into a barn was truely hilarious.

[Mark Sedenquist]

The latest kanagroo was actually a wallabee, although no one around here really knows the difference. More importantly, the guy who hit it is keeping it in his freezer until he can have it mounted. One of my co-workers got to see the frozen kanga-corpse last weekend.

OH, I thought from the previous post that it was still hopping around and he had taken it in??? to raise it.

mark

[Midwest Michael]

The second Roo was Roadkill and will soon be mounted on a wall.

The "claiming it" part of the AP story is kind of deceptive, they think it was somebody's exotic pet that got loose, but no one has admited to owning it - probably because they don't want to pay to fix the guy's truck or be fined for owning the animal.

Anyway, here's a link to a story about the Kanagroo Collision, click on "video story" at the top to actually see the driver holding up his "trophy"

http://www.wkowtv.com/index.php/news...59#videowindow