VIENNA, Austria - A kangaroo led police in southern Austria on a snow chase Thursday after it jumped the fence of its cage and decided to explore its wintry surroundings.

A lonely kangaroo sits on the road near the village of Launsdorf, in the southern Austrian province of Carinthia, Thursday, March 16, 2006. With the help of local police, the animal was sedated and returned to its owner, a local veterinarian. Tourists in Austria, an alpine country often confused with Australia, can buy T-shirts with the slogan 'There are no kangaroos in Austria'. [AP]

The marsupial ¡ª discovered on a country road about 3 miles outside the town of St. Veit in the province of Carinthia ¡ª kept hopping away from perplexed police trying to rein it in, local police officer Joerg Fortin said.

In the end, a local veterinarian helped capture the animal using a stun gun.

The kangaroo, which belongs to a breeder in Tirol, was in southern Austria for treatment by Georg Rainer, another local veterinarian.

In a phone interview, Rainer said he was also temporarily looking after a second kangaroo for about two to three weeks. He was not immediately able to provide details about the breeder.

The year-old kangaroo that briefly escaped was being treated for minor injuries, he added.

Tourists who visit the alpine country can buy T-shirts with the slogan "There are no kangaroos in Austria" because this European country is sometimes confused with Australia, where the marsupials are native. Some tourists in Austria have been known to ask where kangaroos can be found.