Owner Of Fugitive Kangaroo Pleads Not Guilty To Wildlife Violations

The owner of a fugitive kangaroo in Fort Lauderdale is accused of violating Florida's wildlife laws.

Anthony Macias, 24, entered a not guilty plea in connection to charges relating to his kangaroo, named Jack Jack, which got loose last month. Fort Lauderdale Police officers captured Jack Jack on July 16 after the marsupial decided to go for a walkabout on North Andrews Avenue. It was all captured on an officer's body camera, too.

Macias was charged with three misdemeanors, reports Local 10. He is accused of unlawful possession of wildlife without a permit, failure to safely house wildlife, and failure to pay the required fee to get a permit to own a wild animal. He entered a not guilty plea for all three charges on Wednesday.

While it is legal to own certain wild animals in Florida, keeping a kangaroo in Fort Lauderdale's city limits is a no-no. Jack Jack has been with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation since July until a permanent place for him is found.

Macias won't be able to get Jack Jack back as long as he's living in Fort Lauderdale so he launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to move to a place where he can legally own a kangaroo.

Photo: Getty Images