Category: Weird

By JOHN O’CONNOR, Associated Press

How does a kangaroo escape a petting zoo?

It’s not the opening line to a dad joke. If you’re Chesney the kangaroo, you scale an 8-foot fence and go on the lam for three days, giving your keeper sleepless nights and sending residents of a small Wisconsin town on a search that would end happily on Saturday.

The unprecedented leap at Sunshine Farm in Necedah, Wisconsin, last week was precipitated by some stray dogs that rushed the enclosure and spooked the 16-month-old Chesney, said his keeper, Debbie Marland. She and friends then trekked hither and yon in this town about 160 miles northwest of Milwaukee.

They chased reports of sightings and even rented heat-seeking drones, which proved effective in narrowing down the wanderings of the high-jumping adventurer.

“I was putting on about 37,000 steps per day looking for him,” Marland said Sunday. “I haven’t done so much exercise in a very long time.”

Chesney and his roommate Kenny are named for country-music star Kenny Chesney. They’re among 25 animals at Sunshine Farm, with horses, sheep, alpacas, Kunekune pigs, Highland cows and a Bactrian camel. The farm is generally open Fridays through Sundays from mid-May through mid-November and tours are offered to visitors who can interact with the animals.

Chesney escaped about 11:15 a.m. last Wednesday. Though he stayed within a 3-mile radius of the farm, he kept his pursuers guessing.

Colton Johnson, owner of Midwest Aerial Drone Services, has used heat-sensing drones to help hunters recover deer and reunite missing dogs with their owners. Add a kangaroo to the list.

Johnson spent three days trailing Chesney alongside Marland and a team of volunteers. His strategy was similar to the ones he uses to find lost pets, but Johnson said the appearance of Chesney’s heat signature on the drone footage was unique.

“It almost looked like a dinosaur running through the woods,” Johnson said. “It’s got a long tail, and the way it was moving and hopping, that’s the only way that I can describe it.”

The team caught up with Chesney on Wednesday and again Thursday night, but Johnson said the frightened kangaroo slipped away — once by jumping into a cold river — and Johnson lost track on the drone.

According to Marland’s friend, Stacy Brereton, who helps out at the farm routinely, Friday was a tough day. No one had spotted Chesney all day and searchers feared he had wandered farther afield into even more unfamiliar territory, Brereton said.

Then, Friday night, Chesney was discovered nestled under a tree in a wooded area. A group of searchers surrounded him, but ever fleet of foot — 20 mph is no stretch for him — Chesney eluded them.

Marland returned to the area Saturday morning with Chesney’s favorite treats and pieces of material that had his and Kenny’s scent. Other searchers later joined her. But with no sign of the kangaroo, they started packing up. Just then, they spotted the long-eared kangaroo with outsize back legs approaching.

Brereton stepped up with a delicate touch.

“He had a very calm attitude when he walked up, obviously you could tell he wasn’t in fight-or-flight mode, so I just went with that,” Brereton said. “I just stayed calm with him and I just kind of went and sat and let him come to me.”

Chesney heard the voices and wanted attention, said Brereton, who eventually scooped up the 40-pound animal.

“I do believe he heard our comforting voices, he smelled the familiar smells of home and it just made him feel safe,” said Brereton, adding, “I’m just glad he loves me as much as I love him.”

Marland said the “the community really did come together” for the kangaroo, who is now something of a celebrity. A Sunshine Farm fan has written a children’s book about Chesney’s adventures, which Marland hopes to publish and sell to recoup some of the search costs.

Kenny, who with his marsupial mate has the run of Marland’s house, was happy to be reunited with Chesney. Though hungry and tired, Chesney was otherwise healthy but will get a checkup with the veterinarian shortly.

To be safe, Marland added, a new mesh top will be placed over the kangaroo enclosure to prevent any more high-jumping hijinks.

Associated Press writer Savannah Peters in Edgewood, New Mexico, contributed.

PHOENIX – So much for the conspiracy theory about an electrical substation’s proximity being the root of the 49ers’ injury evils.

General manager John Lynch shared Sunday that an independent scientist deemed the 49ers safe from electromagnetic waves, after conducting tests from the practice fields to the weight room and even the cafeteria.

“He basically (said) it was a big nothing burger. We’re safe. We’re in a safe place of work,” Lynch said at the NFL annual meeting at the Biltmore Resort. “The levels are, I think I read, 400 times less than an unsafe zone. It’s a normal place of work, a normal gym. We’re safe, we’re healthy and we feel really good about that.”

As an injury-riddled 49ers roster lurched into the playoffs, speculation turned to the neighboring power plant’s impact on health, sparked by a social-media thread from wellness entrepreneur Peter Cowan and his use of a gaussmeter outside the facility’s fences.

Some players encouraged the 49ers to investigate, but Lynch noted that it was not broached by anyone who joined the team in the past few weeks since free agency opened, including wide receiver Mike Evans.

The 49ers did not share the identity of the independent scientist.

“That (study) was important to us. Not just to turn a blind eye, but to look into it because it’s our players’ wellness, and our coaches’ and staff,” Lynch said. “It’s encouraging it came out in a good place.

“His findings were clear,” Lynch added. “Our facility is safe, exposure level is similar to what you’d experience in a typical workplace or commercial gym.”

In practical terms, more direct exposure would come from using a hair dryer in the morning or waiting in front of a microwave oven for your popcorn to finish.

The NFL Players Association stated ahead of last month’s Super Bowl that it would be following the 49ers’ investigation, which is now complete.