Florida
Pet kangaroo on the hop for nearly 3 weeks found in Florida; owner is cited
A pet kangaroo that escaped its enclosure in Florida in mid-October has been found and returned home.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) located the kangaroo Wednesday after it was seen in a fenced-in area, FOX 35 reported.
Residents of the small town of Pierson in Volusia County, have been keeping an eye out for the animal since it escaped Oct. 17 after a bear entered its enclosure. One woman even put up signs for drivers to watch out for a kangaroo hopping across streets.
“Just when you think you’ve seen it all,” wrote Sheriff Mike Chitwood in a post on X Oct. 17. “The Town of Pierson is hopping tonight.”
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A kangaroo was seen hopping around Pierson, Florida, prompting a response from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office. (FOX 35 Orlando)
Chitwood shared a screenshot from the Pierson Community Page on Facebook, showing a kangaroo hopping along a road. Pierson is north of Orlando.
“The FWC investigator and the kangaroo’s owner responded to the location where the kangaroo was successfully captured and returned to its home after being bedded down in heavy cover,” FWC’s Kristen Turner said in a statement, according to The Daytona Beach News-Journal.
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The kangaroo’s owner was cited for having an expired license for an exotic animal, improper caging and failing to notify FWC within 12 hours of the animal’s escape, according to FOX 35.
The kangaroo was seen hopping around the area shortly before it was caught. (FOX 5/Tamara Dubberly)
Resident Tamara Dubberly was able to get video on her phone of the kangaroo hopping through a wooded area shortly before it was caught.
“When everybody was freaking out about it at first, I was like, ‘It’s a kangaroo.’ Like, we’ve all been to the zoo, we’ve seen it,” Dubberly told FOX 35. “But then, like actually seeing it up close, it’s not something you see every day. So, it’s like, you know, it’s cool.”
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The FWC said that while kangaroos don’t pose a threat to other species, “they are strong and may defend themselves if they feel threatened,” FOX 35 reported.
Fox News Digital has reached out to FWC for comment.
Fox News’ Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.
Florida
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Florida investigating AI role in mass shooting at university
Florida on Tuesday announced a criminal probe into whether artificial intelligence played a role in a deadly mass shooting at a university in the US state.
“If ChatGPT were a person, it would be facing charges for murder,” Uthmeier said.
Florida law allows anyone who assists or counsels someone in the commission of a crime to be treated as an “aider and abettor” bearing the same responsibility as the perpetrator, according to Uthmeier.
In exchanges with ChatGPT, the accused shooter sought advice on what type of gun and ammunition to use, as well as where and when on campus a lot of people would likely be found, the state attorney general said during a press briefing.
“Last year’s mass shooting at Florida State University was a tragedy, but ChatGPT is not responsible for this terrible crime,” an OpenAI spokesperson said.
Florida
Florida wildfire strands Amtrak passengers for over 24 hours
A massive wildfire in Putnam County in northern Florida left Amtrak passengers stranded on a train for more than 24 hours.
One train heading to New York City was forced to turn around, arriving back in Miami Monday night, including one passenger who said he had been on that train for about 38 hours.
He says he and other passengers were left uncertain about what was going on.
“Angry, confused, uncertain, in the dark,” said John Reardon.
Reardon, who lives in New York City, says he boarded the train around 7 a.m. Sunday to go back home. He said around 3 p.m. Sunday, the train stopped near Jacksonville.
“Finally, after about 5 hours, they said we’re not going to New York, we’re going back to Miami,” Reardon said. “One stop at a time.”
Amtrak said for the safety of its passengers, the train couldn’t continue going north because of the fire.
“Amtrak sends a notification to the phone saying, ‘Hey, there’s an issue with the wildfire, it’s too close to the railway,’” said passenger Katrinia Wheeler.
Multiple crews are battling multiple fires in two Florida counties, leaving at least 3,000 acres burned.
“I saw that there was a lot of smoke coming from the woods, and then I saw the fire trucks and emergency services,” Wheeler said.
The train that left Miami at 7 a.m. on Sunday returned around 9 p.m. on Monday, leaving passengers frustrated.
Amtrak corporate says they made the decision out of safety for their customers and said customers would receive full refunds and vouchers.
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