For the last few days, a small marsupial has been on the loose on Montreal’s South Shore, after it likely escaped from illegal captivity, say animal rights advocates and Quebec’s Environment Ministry.

People took videos of the animal — it’s still unclear whether it’s a small kangaroo or wallaby — hopping around a field in Boucherville, Que., and posted them online Friday. The provincial Environment Ministry says it believes the marsupial is a red kangaroo, but will only be able to identify the species after it is captured.

And while it might be fascinating and surreal to see a kangaroo — or wallaby — hopping around southern Quebec, the presence of the animal is bringing to light the real problem of the illegal trafficking of exotic animals in Canada, says Chamie Angie Cadorette with animal protection agency Galahad SPCA.

A quick online search reveals dozens of listings for exotic animals for sale in Quebec, including declawed wildcats, Cadorette said in an interview Monday.

“I could have got hold of a monkey for $9,000, a kangaroo for $6,000. There are turtles, there are snakes — you name it,” she said. “It’s a very lucrative trade, the illegal sale of exotic animals.”

Cadorette says her organization received a call on Wednesday from a concerned citizen who had noticed the animal while visiting a horse stable in the area. 

Quebec requires special permits to keep wild and exotic animals in captivity, including kangaroos and wallabies.

Cadorette says the citizen told her the marsupial was locked up alone in an unsuitable environment. Following the report, Cadorette called the provincial anti-poaching agency to investigate. 

She says she learned through government agencies that the stable did not have the necessary permits for an exotic animal, adding that the marsupial had likely escaped from the facility.

The Environment Ministry confirmed in an email that the investigation is ongoing, and initial information suggests that “the animal was being kept illegally in facilities that did not comply with Quebec regulations.”

After receiving more calls about a wayward marsupial, Cadorette called the anti-poaching agency back asking them to capture the animal and bring it to safety as it was near a highway. She worries the animal could be struck by a vehicle and that it cannot survive if it remains in the area until winter. 

Keep your distance: Environment Ministry

Daniel Labonté, a spokesperson for the Environmental Ministry, says that while the animal is not in danger and does not pose a risk to the public, people should still stay away from it to ensure its safety. 

Galahad and an animal rescue organization both say they are ready to capture the animal and bring it to a nearby sanctuary but have not received government authorization to do so.

Labonté says the Environment Ministry is assessing the situation to determine the safest way to capture the marsupial. Quebec regulations prohibit anyone from capturing an animal that requires a licence to keep.

For her part, Cadorette wants the government to do more to crack down on the exotic animal black market. 

“As far as I know, no one in Quebec has a licence to transport these animals. But I mean, someone must have brought them here from somewhere,” Cadorette said. 

The Environment Ministry did not respond to a request for comment on exotic animal trafficking in Quebec.