The escaped kangaroo in Erfurt Photo: Police Thuringia
By Laura Meinfelder
Mourning for kangaroo Horst! The escaped marsupial was out and about on its own paws for several days, exploring the state capital of Erfurt. But the courageous adventure ended fatally for Horst.
The Bennett’s kangaroo was held by a private individual and was able to escape from its enclosure on Wednesday. An Erfurter spotted Horst hopping across the busy Weimarische Straße and informed the police.
The officials were also able to discover the kangaroo, but the attempt to capture it on the premises of a tire dealer was unsuccessful. Undeterred, Horst jumped into the bushes, hid in the undergrowth and later continued on his own.
The following day, Horst was spotted near train tracks. Again, a combined effort was sought – without success. A spokesman for the Thuringian police: “Even during the course of May 11, the animal could not be sighted by the owner or by uniformed forces and returned to the enclosure.”
Then on Friday the sad news: Horst is dead! His thirst for adventure became his undoing. The dead marsupial was found in the track area shortly after midnight.
A police spokesman: “Based on initial findings and the situation in which it was found, it is assumed that the animal could have been hit by a train and did not survive the collision.”
During the salvage, the train route towards Weimar had to be temporarily closed.