There are several places you may expect to see baby kangaroos in your life. Standing on the other side of the fence at a zoo would be one of them. You could even expect to see some in the wild while visiting certain parts of Australia, where they are known to be almost as prolific as deer in America.
However, the one place you would probably never expect to see a kangaroo is in the arms of a police officer in a small Pennsylvania town. But for the people who happened by a secluded part of Hellertown, that’s exactly what they saw.
Fortunately, the officers snapped a few photos of their wild encounter and posted them online, where they quickly went viral, getting covered by local outlet WFMZ. And while the pictures of the two officers interacting with the baby kangaroos are certainly adorable to look at, it sounds like the experience for the officers was a surreal one.
Here’s what they say happened.
Hellertown Police Department Ran Into Some Joeys in Need of a Bathroom Break
A series of photos of Hellertown Police Department (HPD) officers McCartney and Johnston appeared in a Facebook post from the organization on Aug. 18, 2026.
“‘Never Have I Ever’ encountered two Joeys while on patrol. I have to say there is always a first in police work,” the caption said. “Ofc. McCartney (25 years) and Ofc. Johnston (19 years) have a combined 44 years in police work at HPD, and they had that exact encounter! That’s what you call a good day, mate!”
The Post Immediately Went Viral
Within days, the post from the small-town police department had racked up more than 1,300 reactions, and people couldn’t help but share their excitement in the comments. “We need the backstory,” one person wrote.
Meanwhile, another person cracked jokes about the unlikely encounter, writing, “Someone needs to put away Jumanji.” But according to an update from HPD, the truth of the situation sounds like it was a little less wild than the 1995 film.
The Baby Kangaroos Were on Their Way Somewhere Important
A lot of people were hopping mad that they didn’t encounter the Joeys on the road this week, but HPD says there weren’t actually many opportunities for someone to come across the marsupials in the wild.
“I wish there was some exciting story behind our recent kangaroo encounter in Hellertown, but the truth is actually pretty simple and pretty cool,” the update from HPD said. “Matt Aldinger, owner of Aldinger Farms in Northern Dauphin County, was simply passing through Hellertown when he encountered Officer McCartney. The kangaroos had been in the vehicle for a while and, as you can imagine, they needed to stretch their legs and take a little bathroom break.”
Apparently, officers took Aldinger and his kangaroos to a secluded area of the borough where they were allowed to get out and hop around for a while.
While it may have started as just another day at work for the officers and Aldinger, it’s clear the two men made some great memories they won’t soon forget. It’s good that they have the photos to back up their story, because it’s unlikely anyone else would’ve believed them after they shared their story back home!