The marsupial that has been on the loose on Montreal’s South Shore does not currently pose a “significant danger to the public,” Quebec’s Environment Ministry said on Tuesday.

It also maintains that the survival of the animal — which likely escaped from illegal captivity — in the wild is not at risk during the summer months.

But Frédéric Bérard, a lawyer representing the animal protection agency Galahad SPCA, argues the animal may not have much time to survive in its current environment.

“He can easily get hit by a car, that’s for sure. Maybe he can get eaten by a coyote,” Bérard said on CBC’s Daybreak radio show.

He also criticized Quebec’s Environment Ministry for what he considers a slow response.

“It’s very upsetting,” he said.

“[If you spot the animal,] I would say, ‘Just call the ministry.’ But to do what? They don’t do nothing.”

The marsupial, nicknamed Joey — infant marsupials are also known as ‘joeys’ —, was spotted hopping through a field in Boucherville, Que., in videos posted online Friday.

The environment ministry confirmed on Tuesday afternoon to Radio-Canada that it is indeed a kangaroo and not a wallaby, as some had initially assumed.

He escaped from a stable in the city, according to Radio-Canada, and remains missing.

Quebec says public should keep distance

In a statement to Radio-Canada, the Environment Ministry said it is assessing the situation to determine “the safest way to recover the animal” while minimizing risks to both the animal and the public, particularly vehicles.

It’s important for people to avoid approaching the animal so that it remains in the area where it is currently located, as “acting rashly could lead to unnecessary risks to the animal’s health or to the people attempting to capture it,” read the statement.

The Ministry added that though the investigation is ongoing, based on the information available so far, it appears that the animal was being kept illegally in facilities that “do not comply with Quebec regulations.”

The case highlights the issue of illegal trafficking of what is referred to as exotic animals in Canada, according to Chamie Angie Cadorette who works for Galahad SPCA.

In an interview with The Canadian Press on Monday, she said a quick online search shows dozens of listings for ‘exotic’ animals for sale in Quebec.

She added that her organization received a call on Wednesday from a concerned citizen who noticed the animal while visiting a horse stable in the area. 

The province requires special permits to keep wild animals in captivity.

Clifford Miller, co-owner of the Miller Zoo in Frampton, Que., said that once the animal is captured by the ministry, it will likely be place in the care of a facility licensed and equipped to look after it.

“He’s disoriented … he’s in an unfamiliar environment. The challenge is to find him and bring him into a group,” Miller said on Radio-Canada’s Tout Un Matin.

However, Miller believes the animal has everything it needs to survive, in the short term.