A red kangaroo, which escaped from Chiang Mai Zoo on Wednesday, has been found dead, Attapon Srihayrun, Director-General of the Zoological Park Organisation of Thailand, said today.
Photos, which have gone viral, show the body of the animal lying in a creek inside Doi Suthep-Pui National Park.
The discovery ends a two-day search, after the two-year-old kangaroo escaped from Chiang Mai Zoo on Monday morning, when its keeper entered its cage during feeding time.
The escape first came to light when local villagers spotted the animal, with some filming it hopping along a road heading to Doi Suthep.
Scores of officials from Chiang Mai Zoo and the wildlife department had been searching for the marsupial since Wednesday morning.
The public had been asked not to approach the animal, as it could pose a danger to both people and the animal, which could be startled and suffer heart failure.
Veterinarian Kannika Jantarangsri explained on Wednesday that the red kangaroo is very strong and muscular. It is fast and can jump very far.
“A red kangaroo is easily startled and could go wild. In such a case, it could suffer heart or kidney damage. We have to find it within two or three days, otherwise, it may die,” the vet said.
There are now 22 kangaroos in Chiang Mai Zoo’s Australian zone.
