Ministry of Wildlife analyzes safe capture of Wallaby Boucherville
Since June 12, 2025, wallaby boucherville has been seen several times along Highway 20 in Boucherville, and the Ministry of Wildlife is still analyzing how to recover it safely. The ministry said the animal does not pose a significant danger to the public, but it asked people not to approach it.
On Monday, a ministry spokesperson wrote that it is studying the safest way to capture the animal while reducing risks to both the kangaroo and the public. The ministry also said summer conditions mean the animal’s survival in the wild is not threatened.
Highway 20 sightings
The kangaroo was first reported in Boucherville on June 12, 2025, then spotted again last Friday along Highway 20. The repeated sightings have kept the recovery effort active, but the ministry said rushing the capture could create unnecessary risks for the animal and for anyone trying to catch it.
The ministry warned that a frightened kangaroo can make erratic high-speed jumps and collide with fences, trees, rocks, or other obstacles. It said fractures, dislocations, spinal injuries, or muscle injuries can happen during capture.
Ministry of Wildlife analysis
In a written response on Monday, the ministry said: "Le ministère est actuellement en analyse de la situation afin de déterminer la façon la plus sécuritaire pour permettre la récupération de l’animal en réduisant au maximum les risques pour l’animal et pour le public". It added: "Actuellement, l’animal ne représente pas un danger significatif pour le public et, en période estivale, sa survie en liberté n’est pas menacée".
The ministry also said: "Agir de façon précipitée mènerait à prendre des risques inutiles pour la santé de l’animal ou pour les personnes qui tenteraient de le capturer". That leaves the current operation centered on restraint, not speed, while officials weigh how to bring the animal in without adding harm.
Ownership inquiry in Quebec
An investigation is underway to determine who owns the kangaroo. The ministry said the animal appears to have been kept illegally in non-compliant facilities. Quebec law allows kangaroos to be kept only with a permit from the Ministry of the Environment, the Fight Against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks.
The ministry’s latest position puts the public on notice to stay away from the animal and leaves the capture method as the next practical decision in the case. For now, the issue is not whether the kangaroo can survive outdoors in summer, but how wildlife officers can recover it without forcing a dangerous chase near Highway 20.
