A pet kangaroo named Ollie has gone missing from his home in Mount Pleasant, and his family is asking anyone in the area to keep an eye out. Ollie was last seen wearing a purple leash and collar near Mack Benderman Road in Maury County, and his family is asking neighbors to watch for him.
Cody Felty said her pet kangaroo has gone missing from its Maury County home, according to a report from WSMV. Felty is asking people in the area to be on the lookout for Ollie, who was last seen near Mack Benderman Road wearing his purple leash and collar. The station's report does not indicate exactly when Ollie slipped away or how long he has been on the loose.
A Rural Stretch That Could Swallow a Kangaroo Whole
A listing for a property on Mack Benderman Road gives it a Culleoka address and describes a five-acre lot, according to Compass Real Estate. Ollie's purple leash and collar may help anyone who spots him identify him.
Tennessee law actually makes it legal for Felty to keep a kangaroo in the first place. Under Tennessee Code § 70-4-403, marsupials such as kangaroos are classified as Class III wildlife, meaning private owners can keep them without a wildlife possession permit from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, per Justia. That classification concerns wildlife possession permits; permits required by the Department of Agriculture are an exception.
Owners Still Carry Legal Responsibility Once an Animal Gets Loose
Tennessee law generally prohibits releasing wildlife except as allowed by rules. Separately, Tennessee Code § 70-4-406 allows people who keep Class I wildlife to be held financially liable for costs incurred by individuals, municipal authorities, or state agencies if an animal escapes, per FindLaw. Under that provision, potential recovery costs apply only to keepers of Class I wildlife.
Ollie's disappearance is far from the first time an exotic pet has gone wandering through Tennessee. Multiple legally owned pet kangaroos escaped a private residence in Anderson County, prompting local residents and staff from the Little Ponderosa Zoo to block roads and herd the animals back home safely, according to WBIR. That same station reported that a pet wallaby named BooBoo escaped from its owner's property in Harrogate in February 2024, hopping through the Lincoln Memorial University campus before park rangers finally captured it in Cumberland Gap National Historical Park.
Other Recent Marsupial Escapes
The Anderson County kangaroo escapes and Harrogate wallaby escape are two other reported marsupial incidents in Tennessee.
The Anderson County and Harrogate incidents show how residents and animal handlers can help respond when marsupials escape.
For now, there is no word on whether Ollie has been spotted or recovered. Felty's request remains simple: if you are near Mack Benderman Road and see a kangaroo in a purple leash and collar, Mount Pleasant's missing marsupial may be closer than you think.
