Canberra, June 25 : A kangaroo has become the latest social media sensation after invading a football pitch just 2 km from Parliament House in here, Australian authorities said on Monday.

The woman's premier league football match on Sunday was halted for almost 20 minutes as the kangaroo jumped fences, sprinted the length of the pitch and laid down in the penalty box, reports Xinhua news agency.

Players, spectators and staff watched in amazement as the large great eastern kangaroo entered the field of play after half time in the National Premier League match between Canberra Football Club and Belconnen United Blue Devils in the Australian Capital Territory.

Now the kangaroo's antics have made headlines around the world after the video went viral on social media.

The footage was captured on a live stream for Australian broadcaster, Bar TV Sports.

While sightings of kangaroos in Canberra are rare, the authorities said it was unusual for the animal to find its way onto an enclosed oval and made it even more difficult to remove it.

After chasing the kangaroo on foot and gently rolling footballs towards it, ground staff slowly drove towards the creature in a van.

The kangaroo, which entertained supporters by pretending to play goalkeeper, is believed to have leapt onto the playing arena from the stands in the exclusive Canberra suburb of Deakin.

 

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New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Wednesday expressed concern over the environmental damage due to the felling of a large number of trees on a land parcel next to the University of Hyderabad, and said it would go out of the way for the protection of environment and ecology.

A bench of Justices B R Gavai and Augustine George Masih questioned the Telangana government over the "tearing hurry" to fell the trees there.

"You have to come up with a plan as to how you will restore those 100 acres (of land)," the bench told senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, who appeared for Telangana.

Justice Gavai said the top court was surprised to see videos where animals were running for shelter.

The bench directed the wildlife warden of Telangana to take immediate steps to protect the wildlife.

"For the protection of the environment and ecology, we will go out of the way," Justice Gavai said.

While posting the matter for the next hearing on May 15, the bench orally said, "In the meantime, not a single tree will be felled there."

On April 3, the top court took suo motu cognisance of the state's tree felling drive in the Kancha Gachibowli forest and called it a "very serious" matter.

It asked the Telangana government to explain the "compelling urgency" for clearing the large tree cover and stayed any future activity till further orders

Students of the University of Hyderabad were protesting against the state government's plans to develop the 400-acre land parcel bordering the university.