Originally Published: 30 JUN 23 11:26 ET

By JoBeth Davis

EDWARDSVILLE, Kansas (KMBC) -- It's not something a Kansas City area animal control officer ever expects to find.

An unusual animal, not native to the United States, was found injured along Interstate 435 near Edwardsville, Kansas, Wednesday night.

Officers with the Edwardsville Police Department and Bonner Springs Police Department worked with an Edwardsville Animal Control Officer Wednesday night to capture an animal that had been wounded on I-435.

The animal?

A kangaroo.

An official with the Edwardsville Police Department said the kangaroo is currently under veterinary care. Police had an unusual message to the public.

"If your [kangaroo] wandered off last night, or you may have seen one in the area, please let us know," officials said in a post to the department's Facebook page.

Kangaroos are mammals native to Australia and New Guinea. While they have been introduced to other countries, it's extremely unusual to find one outside of a zoo in the United States.

Edwardsville Police, who originally identified the animal as a wallaby, not a kangaroo, said the owner of the animal has since been located.

Police said the animal is injured, however, those injuries are not believed to be serious. The joey is eating and drinking.

Owners told police they run a business featuring exotic animals. The joey somehow escaped while being transported back from a petting zoo that was held at an area library.