On Thursday afternoon, a female red kangaroo that had escaped from Chiang Mai Zoo was found dead in Doi Suthep-Pui National Park.
The animal’s body was discovered in the Huai Chang Khian stream at 2:30 pm by park rangers and staff from Chiang Mai Zoo, according to Kritsayam Kongsatree, director of Protected Areas Regional Office 16 in Chiang Mai.
The young kangaroo, only two years old, had escaped from the zoo located in the Muang district of the northern province on Wednesday morning. The escape occurred during cage cleaning and meal preparation activities in the Australian zone.
Initially, the kangaroo was seen moving uphill on a road leading to Doi Suthep mountain on Wednesday. The search was paused overnight after the animal’s footprints and blood stains were discovered.
Search efforts continued and were intensified the following Thursday morning.
Wutthichai Muangman, the zoo’s director, suggested that the likely cause of death was drowning. He noted that the area of the stream where the kangaroo was found had boulders and thick plant coverage.
He speculated that the kangaroo might have slipped into the water and been unable to climb the steep stream banks, as he explained during a media briefing on Thursday afternoon.
The examination of the body revealed minor scratch marks, but no significant injuries or signs of a predatory attack, he noted.
The spot where the kangaroo was found is about 1.8 kilometers from the zoo, added Mr. Wutthichai.
