{"id":2587301,"date":"2026-04-05T09:19:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-05T13:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kangaroo-escapes-petting-zoo-in-feat-of-derring-do-leads-zookeeper-on-3-day-chase-as-heat-seeking-drone-helps-solve-the-case\/"},"modified":"2026-04-05T09:23:32","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T13:23:32","slug":"kangaroo-escapes-petting-zoo-in-feat-of-derring-do-leads-zookeeper-on-3-day-chase-as-heat-seeking-drone-helps-solve-the-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kangaroo-escapes-petting-zoo-in-feat-of-derring-do-leads-zookeeper-on-3-day-chase-as-heat-seeking-drone-helps-solve-the-case\/","title":{"rendered":"Kangaroo Escapes Petting Zoo in Feat of Derring-Do, Leads Zookeeper on 3-Day Chase as Heat-Seeking Drone Helps Solve the Case"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">40<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fkangaroo-escapes-petting-zoo-in-feat-of-derring-do-leads-zookeeper-on-3-day-chase-as-heat-seeking-drone-helps-solve-the-case%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2587301&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A young kangaroo named Chesney escaped from Sunshine farm in Necedah,wisconsin after <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/she-saved-my-life-shia-labeouf-on-ex-who-accused-him-of-sexual-battery-abuse\/\" title=\"\u2018She Saved My Life\u2019: Shia LaBeouf On Ex Who Accused Him Of Sexual Battery, Abuse\">stray dogs<\/a> spooked him,leaping an eight-foot fence and triggering a three\u2011day townwide search. Keeper Debbie Marland and volunteers tracked him with the help of heat\u2011sensing drones, narrowing sightings within about three miles of the farm as Chesney hopped through woods with a long tail and remarkable speed. Chesney and his roommate Kenny drew community attention, and the search included close calls, including a river swim, before he was finally found hiding under a tree and calmly coaxed back to safety by a caretaker. He was healthy and reunited with Kenny, with plans to give him a checkup and to add a mesh top to the enclosure to prevent future escapes; the episode also <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >inspired local support<\/a> and even a potential children\u2019s book about Chesney\u2019s adventures.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_0)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>How does a kangaroo escape a petting zoo?<\/p>\n<p>It&rsquo;s not the opening line to a dad joke. If you&rsquo;re Chesney the kangaroo, you scale an eight-foot fence and go on the lam for three days, giving your keeper sleepless nights and sending residents of a small Wisconsin town on a search that would end happily on Saturday.<\/p>\n<p>The unprecedented leap at Sunshine Farm in Necedah, Wisconsin, last week was precipitated by some stray dogs that rushed the enclosure and spooked the 16-month-old Chesney, according to his keeper, Debbie Marland.<\/p>\n<p>She and friends then trekked hither and yon in the town, which is about 160 miles northwest of Milwaukee.<\/p>\n<p>They chased reports of sightings and even rented heat-seeking drones, which proved effective in narrowing down the wanderings of the high-jumping adventurer.<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadAnyclip() { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst container=document.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!container) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=\"https:\/\/player.anyclip.com\/anyclip-widget\/lre-widget\/prod\/v1\/src\/lre.js\"; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.setAttribute(\"pubname\", \"westernjournalcom\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.setAttribute(\"widgetname\", \"001w000001jULVcAAO_M12924\");  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ append inside the container so player shows in correct spot \t\t\t\t\t\tcontainer.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer=new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries)=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadAnyclip(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #anyclipvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#anyclipvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I was putting on about 37,000 steps per day looking for him,&rdquo; Marland said Sunday. &ldquo;I haven&rsquo;t done so much exercise in a very long time.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Chesney and his roommate, Kenny, are named for country-music star Kenny Chesney. They&rsquo;re among 25 animals at Sunshine Farm, which has horses, sheep, alpacas, Kunekune pigs, Highland cows, and a Bactrian camel. The farm is generally open Fridays through Sundays from mid-May through mid-November, and tours are offered to visitors, who can interact with the animals.<\/p>\n<p>Chesney escaped about 11:15 a.m. last Wednesday. Though he stayed within a three-mile radius of the farm, he kept his pursuers guessing.<\/p>\n<p>Colton Johnson, owner of Midwest Aerial Drone Services, has used heat-sensing drones to help hunters recover deer and reunite missing dogs with their owners. Now he can add a kangaroo to the list.<\/p>\n<p>Johnson spent three days trailing Chesney alongside Marland and a team of volunteers. His strategy was similar to the one he uses to find lost pets, but Johnson said the appearance of Chesney&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/congress-must-support-a-diversified-multi-layered-approach-to-space-missile-warning\/\" title=\"Congress Must Support a Diversified, Multi-Layered Approach to Space Missile Warning\">heat signature<\/a> on the drone footage was unique.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It almost looked like a dinosaur running through the woods,&rdquo; Johnson said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s got a long tail, and the way it was moving and hopping, that&rsquo;s the only way that I can describe it.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The team caught up with Chesney on Wednesday and again Thursday night, but Johnson said the frightened kangaroo slipped away &mdash; once by jumping into a cold river &mdash; and Johnson lost track on the drone.<\/p>\n<p>According to Marland&rsquo;s friend, Stacy Brereton, who helps out at the farm routinely, Friday was a tough day. No one had spotted Chesney all day, and searchers feared he had wandered farther afield into even more unfamiliar territory, Brereton said.<\/p>\n<p>Then, Friday night, Chesney was discovered nestled under a tree in a wooded area. A group of searchers surrounded him, but ever fleet of foot &mdash; 20 mph is no stretch for him &mdash; Chesney eluded them.<\/p>\n<p>Marland returned to the area Saturday morning with Chesney&rsquo;s favorite treats and pieces of material that had his and Kenny&rsquo;s scent. Other searchers later joined her. But with no sign of the kangaroo, they started packing up. Just then, they spotted the long-eared kangaroo with outsize back legs approaching.<\/p>\n<p>Brereton stepped up with a delicate touch.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;He had a very calm attitude when he walked up, obviously, you could tell he wasn&rsquo;t in fight-or-flight mode, so I just went with that,&rdquo; Brereton said. &ldquo;I just stayed calm with him, and I just kind of went and sat and let him come to me.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Chesney heard the voices and wanted attention, said Brereton, who eventually scooped up the 40-pound animal.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I do believe he heard our comforting voices, he smelled the familiar smells of home, and it just made him feel safe,&rdquo; said Brereton, adding, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m just glad he loves me as much as I love him.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Marland said the &ldquo;the community really did come together&rdquo; for the kangaroo, who is now something of a celebrity. A Sunshine Farm fan has written a children&rsquo;s book about Chesney&rsquo;s adventures, which Marland hopes to publish and sell to recoup some of the search costs.<\/p>\n<p>Kenny, who with his marsupial mate has the run of Marland&rsquo;s house, was happy to be reunited with Chesney. Though hungry and tired, Chesney was otherwise healthy, but will get a checkup with the veterinarian shortly.<\/p>\n<p>To be safe, Marland added, a new mesh top will be placed over the kangaroo enclosure to prevent any more high-jumping hijinks.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-style: italic;\">The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Chesney, a 16\u2011month\u2011old kangaroo at Sunshine Farm in Necedah, Wisconsin, jumped an eight\u2011foot fence and spent about three days on the run, keeping his keeper and a small town on edge until he was safely found on Saturday. The escape happened after stray dogs spooked Chesney, and Debbie Marland, his keeper, along with friends and local volunteers, spent days chasing reports across the town-roughly 160 miles northwest of Milwaukee-even using heat\u2011seeking drones to track him. The search spanned several sightings, with drone footage showing Chesney\u2019s heat signature moving through the area; Colton Johnson, who operates heat\u2011detection drone work, likened the sight to a dinosaur running through the woods.<\/p>\n<p>During the pursuit, Chesney managed to slip away more than once-at one point diving into a cold river-before the drone could keep up. Friday brought no sightings, heightening concerns that he had wandered farther from the farm. Early Saturday, Chesney was spotted nestled under a tree in a wooded spot. A group of searchers surrounded him, but the fast little kangaroo remained elusive until Marland\u2019s team calmly approached. Chesney eventually came toward them as Marland offered familiar scents and treats, and Brereton, a farm helper, calmly cupped the animal in her arms.<\/p>\n<p>Back at the farm, Chesney weighed about 40 pounds and appeared otherwise healthy, though tired, and will receive a vet check soon. The community\u2019s effort was lauded, and plans were announced to place a mesh top over the enclosure to prevent future escapes. Kenny, Chesney\u2019s roommate kangaroo, was happily reunited with him. The farm also noted its other animals-including horses, sheep, alpacas, Kunekune pigs, Highland cows, and a Bactrian camel-and kept the search costs in mind, with the possibility of publishing a children\u2019s book about Chesney\u2019s adventures<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2587302,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1dbbbd2b99154ecfba50918143e9d85f-e1774912569346.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[77191,34142,77189,77190],"class_list":["post-2587301","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-3-day-chase","tag-kangaroo","tag-pettingzoo","tag-zookeeper"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1dbbbd2b99154ecfba50918143e9d85f-e1774912569346.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2587301","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2587301"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2587301\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2587305,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2587301\/revisions\/2587305"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2587302"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2587301"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2587301"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2587301"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}