'Roo Caused Partial Lockdown Of The Airport For Animal's, Passengers' Safety

An eastern grey male kangaroo was not trying to hop on a plane when it found its way into the main terminal at the Melbourne, Australia Airport Wednesday.

The animal apparently had been hit by a car as it approached the building. It surprised people shopping in a pharmacy inside the terminal. The French news service AFP reports that part of the terminal had to be secured so that wildlife rescuers could tranquilize and capture the animal.

An Australian comedienne named Julia Morris broke the news with a tweet that said in part "a KANGAROO has just jumped into the chemist."

The terminal is located near the kangaroo's natural habitat. The tarmac area of the airport is guarded in an effort to prevent the animals from being hit by airplanes. It is not the first kangaroo incident at Melbourne airport. In January, police chased one through a parking garage. A similar incident was reported in October of last year.

Rescuers from Wildlife Victoria were dispatched to the terminal, where the animal was subdued and taken to a vet for a checkup.

Of course, the Qantas jokes flew thick and fast on social media sites.

(Public domain image of eastern grey kangaroo)

FMI: http://melbourneairport.com.au