BERLIN — German police are appealing to the public for help in their search for a kangaroo and her baby that went missing from a zoo earlier this week.

Police in the central German state of Thuringia said Friday that the mother and her joey disappeared after a fence at an animal enclosure in the village of Meuselwitz was cut. It was unclear whether thieves intended to steal the animals or just the contents of a nearby donation box, which was also discovered cut open Wednesday morning.

Police said a witness reported seeing a kangaroo hopping through a forest in the neighboring state of Saxony on Thursday night.

Authorities are warning the public not to try to capture the kangaroos on their own. MKH

RELATED STORIES:

Kangaroo stops play during Australian women’s soccer match

WATCH: Aussie boxes kangaroo to rescue pet dog