The story behind that viral Snapchat of a man running with a kangaroo on a leash

It’s certainly not something you see everyday: a man walking down the street with a hopping kangaroo on a leash leading the way.

So imagine a Detroit woman’s surprise when she saw just that. Of course, she pulled out her smartphone to record the shocking scene in a Snapchat video that has since gone viral.

“The man has a kangaroo on a leash, what the —?” the woman was overheard saying in the 7-second video.

Some internet users joked about how “awesome” the video was. Others, however, raised concerns. After all, it’s illegal to own an exotic animal in the city, according to the Detroit Animal Control, who said they are investigating the matter.

But the man, who has been identified by CBS Detroit as Javon Stacks, says there’s a perfectly good explanation for the kangaroo’s presence — and it’s completely legal.

The kangaroo isn’t a pet, Stacks said. It’s actually a furry member of the Exotic Zoo, a Michigan-based traveling zoo that brings exotic animals to locations across the country, aiming to educate children about animals. According to Stacks, the company is licensed, both state and federally, and the animals are well treated.

“You have many inner city kids, they don’t have any transportation to the zoo, their parents don’t have the finances,” Stacks told CBS Detroit. “So we perform at libraries and schools for free and through grants. We like to educate people.”

Stacks was showing off the kangaroo, named Darwin, at a kid’s party near Detroit’s University District when he stepped outside to allow the animal to stretch its legs.

“There’s not a lot of space for a kangaroo to hop around inside so I brought him outside,” Stacks said. “That was the last animal in our show, someone was riding by and they were just filming us and they put it on the internet. A picture is worth a thousand words.”

Though the situation may be legal, the Detroit Zoo says there are reasons to be wary of traveling zoos, especially those that include exotic animals.

“Unfortunately, this kangaroo likely was acquired through the exotic pet trade,” Detroit Zoo spokeswoman Patricia Janeway told the station. “This is a good opportunity to remind your readers about the consequences of keeping an exotic animal as a pet. These animals require special care, housing, proper diet, health care and maintenance that the average person cannot provide.”