Owners devastated after police say attacking kangaroo was killed by Tennessee neighbor
A man strangled his neighbor’s kangaroo to death after it attacked his wife in Sumner County, Tennessee Wednesday evening, WKRN reported.
The couple noticed that one of their neighbor’s kangaroos was out of its designated area, although still within the fenced property of the neighbor’s land, according to Smokey Barn News.
They contacted the owners, who told them where the kangaroo’s feed was so they could guide it back into its enclosure. The owners also told the couple that they would be home shortly to handle the situation, according to a statement from the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office.
The neighbors entered the property, “where the female neighbor was promptly assaulted by the kangaroo causing her husband to respond to help her,” the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office told Smokey Barn News. The kangaroo was killed and the neighbors received scratches that were treated on the scene.
The kangaroo’s owners, Hope and Chris Lea, told WKRN that they were heartbroken over the death of the animal, which they named “Carter”. According to the Leas, they returned to find Carter dead and the younger kangaroos gathered around his body.
“I was screaming because all of the babies were standing around his dead body and I was just so upset,” Hope Lea told WKRN. “It’s like losing a family member.”
Sumner County is about 30 miles northeast of Nashville.
According to Tennessee’s exotic animal laws, residents are able to own marsupials without a permit, unless instructed by the Department of Agriculture. Other animals that residents can own without a permit, identified as Class III animals under the law, include ferrets, camels, giraffes, bobcats, and llamas.
Tennessee is one of several states that allow residents to own a kangaroo, along with Arizona, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Oregon, according to FindLaw’s extensive exotic animal list.
According to the Queensland (Australia) Department of Environment and Science, captive kangaroos may approach individuals for food, and scratch and bite them. Kangaroos could also be aggressive toward humans to assert dominance, or if they feel threatened.
“If you are approached by an aggressive kangaroo or wallaby you should keep it at a safe distance so that it can’t kick or scratch,” the department advises on their website. “Turning your back on it and running could be dangerous as a large male can easily outrun you and still kick at the same time.”
This story was originally published December 23, 2021 at 3:09 PM with the headline "Owners devastated after police say attacking kangaroo was killed by Tennessee neighbor."
