On Thursday morning, police even issued a warning to motorists via the ACL, stating the runaway kangaroo had been spotted on the N11 towards Echternach. Drivers in the area around the CR132 and Lauterborn were advised to be cautious.
But how has this unusual story come into existence, and are kangaroos even permitted to be kept as pets in Luxembourg?
In the Grand Duchy it is not permitted to keep just any animal as a pet. Although dogs, cats and traditional pet species are not an issue, an authorisation is required to keep exotic animals, says the director of the Veterinary and Food Administration.
“There is a positive list of animals which are allowed to be kept as pets as part of the Animal Welfare Act,” explains Dr Félix Wildschütz. “These have set conditions. If you want to keep a pet which does not feature on the list, then you need to seek authorisation from the Ministry.”
The request is then passed from the Ministry on to veterinary inspectors, who analyse the case and submit an official opinion. “I can say right away that if we had received a request for a kangaroo, this is very unlikely to have been granted authorisation, because I think this is a very particular case.”
Dr Wildschütz says there has never been an authorisation issued for a kangaroo in Luxembourg. According to information from the Veterinary Administration, Sammy’s owner previously lived in Germany, but when she moved to Luxembourg her authorisation from Germany expired. She should have applied for a new one in the Grand Duchy, but Dr Wildschütz says this did not happen.
Currently the goal is to safely recapture the loose kangaroo. After that, the animal will in principle be taken into custody by the authorities as it has not been kept correctly, Dr Wildschütz says.
The public are advised not to try and capture Sammy themselves, and should instead contact the owner or the authorities in the event of a sighting.
Zu Konsdref gesinn: Buergermeeschter bestätegt, dass e Känguru sech duerch d’Bascht gemaach huet
