Kangaroos in Florida? Florida deputy snaps photo with kangaroo on Blackwater River

Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office left many bewildered after it posted a photo of a deputy holding a young kangaroo on the Blackwater River on Saturday.

According to the post, SRSO deputy James Hendry was boating around Blackwater River when he came across the kangaroo. Fortunately, the animal wasn’t “wild” in the sense that it somehow managed to find itself in the Florida Panhandle, and it wasn’t a fugitive from a nearby zoo.

The kangaroo, named Mr. Bojangles, belongs to a community member. Hendry held Mr. Bojangles before snapping a photo and continuing about his day.

Owning a kangaroo in Florida is perfectly legal, and there are at least a few “domesticated” kangaroos in the area.

Can you own a kangaroo in Florida?

Florida classifies various wildlife into class I, II and III, plus a few other categories like “conditional” and “prohibited.” Of these three classes, kangaroos fall into class III, which includes wildlife species native and not native to Florida, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Class III does not include a formal list due to the large volume of species it categorizes, but examples include exotic birds (parrots, parakeets and finches), small mammals (foxes, skunks, raccoons) and several reptile and amphibian species (snakes, lizards, frogs and salamanders).

All you need to own a class III animal is to apply for a class III no-cost personal pet permit. This can be done by heading to GoOutdoorsFlorida.com and applying online. These permits are good for two years. You must be 16 years old to apply. If you want to bring your pet out in public, you must apply for a permit for exhibition.