It’s not terribly unusual for Oklahoma motorists to encounter wildlife on Sooner highways, especially in rural areas. Deer, possums, raccoons, armadillos and, unfortunately, wayward pets become casualties.

Early Wednesday morning, an Oklahoma driver encountered wildlife few outside of Australia have seen.

A Sequoyah County Sheriff’s deputy patrolling rural roads north of Roland witnessed a kangaroo jump out of the woods and onto the highway, where a passing vehicle hit and killed the exotic animal.

The kangaroo is believed to be a pet that had escaped its closure and wasn’t aware of the dangers the highway held.

According to the sheriff’s office, the driver who hit the kangaroo initially thought he had hit a deer, and was surprised to learn it was a kangaroo.

While exotic animals such as kangaroos are sometimes adopted as pets, they are not common and are seldom found close to highways.

Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff’s office at 918-775-1213 or 918-775-9155.