Missing kangaroo back home, and his owner is celebrating

The kangaroo who hopped free, vanishing for nearly three days, is finally back home.

Storm, a 4-foot marsupial who weighs 45 pounds, went on the lam Monday and drew stares as he wandered down a neighborhood street in Jupiter Farms.

His owner, Eric Westergard, said Thursday that he’s happy to have him back.

Just past 1 a.m., his two friends saw the kangaroo less than a halfmile from Storm’s home, an animal sanctuary in Jupiter Farms. Westergard showed up and as he and his friends neared Storm, the kangaroo tried to take off again, Westergard told WPEC-CBS12.

“We tackled him then grabbed him,” Westergard told the station. “We threw him in the truck, drove home and celebrated.”

Westergard has a valid license to keep the animal, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. His facility was last inspected in late 2016, and no violations were found.

The agency is investigating how the kangaroo escaped. Generally, caging and escape issues are defined as a second-degree misdemeanor. But it’s too early to say whether any fine or charge may result in this case, said Rob Klepper, spokesman for the wildlife commission.

Westgard said he plans to improve the enclosure where Storm lives, making sure it’s larger and has better security.

He joked that Storm’s girlfriend, Ava, likely is “going to have a few choice words for him” for disappearing. “She’s been aggravated past couple of days — but that’s with any relationship.”

WPEC-CBS12 is the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s news partner.