Dan to the rescue as Kangaroo catches Melbourne Airport officials on the hop

by Martin Moodie |
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Martin Moodie

Martin Moodie is the Founder & Chairman of The Moodie Report.

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Tie me kangaroo down, sport
Tie me Dan-garoo down
Tie me kangaroo down, sport
Tie me Dan-garoo down

Melbourne Airport officials are looking into a major security incident yesterday morning when a lone male kangaroo, without a boarding card, managed to make its way into a chemist’s store on the terminal’s second floor. Sources say the distressed animal may have mistaken it for a Farm-assist facility.

The injured ‘roo’, subsequently named Cyrus Cappellini after two of its rescuers, apparently skipped past security to enter the airport at about 8am after being struck by a car nearby, local paper The Age reported.

The animal was spotted in the hair-care section of the chemist, taking money out of its pouch as it went to make a purchase of Roo-vlon products.

The store was “locked down” until wildlife volunteers and an unnamed senior airport retail executive were able to sedate the animal, who was then questioned and later taken to a veterinarian for treatment.

The incident was the third involving kangaroos at Melbourne Airport in recent months. The first two only got as far as the car park, an area that falls under the control of veteran travel retail industry executive Dan Cappell, who moved to Melbourne Airport earlier this year as General Manager Retail, Car Parks & Wildlife Management.

In the first dramatic incident (pictured below), Cappell managed to prevent a mother, father and baby family of Kangaroos (identified later as Mr Supial, Ma Supial and baby Joey) from escaping the ground floor car park and heading up to the terminal.

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“Goodness knows what would have happened if they had got onto the second level,” he told us, “but that’s another storey.”

After yesterday’s incident, Cappell told The Moodie Blog roofully: “The poor thing had been hit by a car, so it hops to the airport (Qantas terminal) skipped past the Dr’s surgery en route to the chemist… you can’t make this stuff up. But it all had a happy ending as he is being looked after.”

Entering the airside area without a boarding card is a criminal offence in Australia but Cappell said there was no point in charging the kangaroo as it would probably skip bail anyway. However he will be warned under Australia’s infamous Prevention of Terrooism Act.

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[Skipping back in time: ‘Dangaroo’ Cappell as he is now known at Melbourne Airport, speaking at The Trinity Forum in Seoul in 2012 on the incredibly prescient subject of ‘How to increase footfall and airports and extract greater spend from passengers’ pouches’.]

Asked how such an incident was possible in a security conscious age, Cappell told us: “It’s roo-dimentary. Sometimes we, like the kangaroos, get caught on the hop. But we pouched him and that’s the end of the story.”

Melbourne Airport is now bracing itself for a rush of kangaroo impersonators seeking similar media attention. “They’re just a bunch of wall-a-bies,” said Cappell dismissively.

Nonetheless Cappell’s department has added warning signage at all carpark entrances, advising drivers about the dangers of stray kangaroos and telling them to check their veer-roo mirrors at all times.

Footnote: Worried for Dan’s health? You can contact him to offer your support at daniel.cappell@melair.com.au. No roo-ed comments please.

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