BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — An adventurous kangaroo named Sheila turned heads and halted traffic after escaping onto Interstate 85 in Macon County on Tuesday, causing a two-vehicle crash and prompting a temporary shutdown of the busy Alabama highway.
The marsupial, owned by Patrick Starr of Lee County, reportedly slipped out of her enclosure late Tuesday morning and made her way onto the interstate near mile marker 46, between Tuskegee and Auburn. According to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, two drivers swerved to avoid the kangaroo around 11:50 a.m., resulting in a collision that left both vehicles damaged but no one injured.
Authorities quickly closed both directions of I-85 as deputies, state troopers and Sheila’s owner worked to corral the wayward animal. The spectacle drew onlookers and sparked a flurry of social media posts from surprised motorists who found themselves stuck in traffic behind the unlikely roadblock.
Sheila was eventually tranquilized and safely captured on a grassy embankment beside the highway. She was transported to Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine for observation before being returned to her home.
The incident is the third kangaroo escape reported in Alabama in the past four years, highlighting the ongoing debate over the ownership of exotic animals in the state. Sheila, described as a personal pet and not part of the public petting zoo at Starr’s Choctafaula Ranch, is now back home and reportedly in good health.
No citations were issued in connection with the crash, according to law enforcement officials. The interstate reopened after nearly three hours, allowing traffic to resume its usual pace – minus any marsupial interruptions.
Alabama drivers are no strangers to wildlife crossings, but a kangaroo sighting on the interstate remains a rare, if memorable, event.