Texas: This ad listing a pet kangaroo for sale perfectly describes the issues owners of exotic pets face when that cute, cuddly baby animal begins turning into what they are -- a wild animal.

TEXAS -- This ad listing a pet kangaroo for sale perfectly describes the issues owners of exotic pets face when that cute, cuddly baby animal begins turning into what they are -- a wild animal.

I give her credit for being so honest in her ad - she lists a lot of details about this kangaroo's behavior - a lot of which will turn off potential buyers. She didn't lie and say he was a great pet, loved kids and that they were moving or something and that that's the only reason she's getting rid of him. Instead, she was honest - people need to know that these animals are not like having a dog or cat.

I am a bit concerned at her saying treat him like a human - remember the woman whose face was mauled off by her friend's chimpanzee? You can never forget that they're not just animals - but not really domesticated animals either. I'm glad her husband put his foot down and even she seems to accept that this growing kangaroo is too dangerous to be in a household with her young son.

Yes, children can be rough with pets. Children can even be bratty with them. But animals are like swimming pools to children -- an irresistible attraction. Far too often there are news stories where children wander outside and are attacked and killed by dogs that the parents say they 'warned' their child to stay away from. It's best to get rid of the potential problem now rather than wait until tragedy strikes. This child likes to rough-house with the kangaroo. The kangaroo, though, is maturing into an adult and likely sees this little boy as competition and someone to fight with. As it grows up, it'll likely challenge and attack anyone who doesn't let it do whatever it wants.

According to National Geographic:

The red kangaroo is the world's largest marsupial. Adult males can reach nearly six feet in height and weigh 200 pounds.

Red kangaroos hop along on their powerful hind legs and do so at great speed. A red kangaroo can reach speeds of over 35 miles an hour. Their bounding gait allows them to cover 25 feet in a single leap and to jump 6 feet high.

Male kangaroos are powerfully built. Like many species, male kangaroos sometimes fight over potential mates. They often lean back on their sturdy tail and “box” each other with their strong hind legs. Kangaroos can also bite and wield sharp claws, which they may do in battle with an enemy like a dingo.

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Red Kangaroo Joey for sale
Title: Red Kangaroo Joey
Name: Kelly Torgerson
Date: 6/17/2017
Website: N/A
Phone: 2815085073
E-mail:
Location: Pearland

It is unfortunate, but I am going to have to sell my beloved Rocko. Rocko is an 18 month old Red Kangaroo Joey which I love very very much. He is a sweetie pie and like all juveniles, is spunky and wants to play, play, play. I have been doing my best to teach Rocko to not play with us (he can get a bit rough, but that is how kangaroos play), even going as far as getting him a punching bag and stand and a large stuffed animal to play with. He has been doing well and playing with those items when he gets in play mode, but my 4yr old just taunts him and instigates Rocko into playing with him instead. When Rocko stands upright, he is as big as my 4yr old. Combine play mode with Rockos sharp claws (vet said not to trim) & powerful legs, he hurts my 4yr old. My son just won't leave him alone despite Rocko's rough housing. My husband, who does not like to spend any money whatsoever refuses to put up a separate fence for either Rocko or our son so im left to make a decision that I do not want to make. Since I cannot get rid of the latter, it's Rocko that has to go.

Rocko has been with me since the day he was able to be taken from his biological moms pouch (7 months old) and from that day on, I became his surrogate mom, bottle feeding & carrying him everywhere with me in a pouch until he was too heavy to carry any longer. Even though he's at the weaning age, he still enjoys his bottle every day (hes down to only 1 bottle per day and its more of a treat/bonding thing, not as his main diet).

When not spunked up and wanting to play, he is very mellow and loving. He greets me every morning with a huge hug and kisses. It kills me to have to make this decision. It will take some time for him to adjust to a new home & mom as he sees me as his mom and he's just not going to understand when he is taken away by a new family. He will need some time to adjust and you will need to stick to the same regime as i have been doing to help him adjust. They are one owner animals and do not like crowds or meeting new people. He starts shaking in terror when he is forced to meet someone new (a friend visits, etc). I won't be able to say how he will act at first with a new family. He may be shy/scared at first or he may go all out into defense mode & throw a tantrum, so be patient with him & give him lots of love and alone time to adjust. No loud noises or other people around for a while until he is ready.

Rocko will need AT LEAST a half acre area with a MINIMUM of a 6 foot fence to roam. He loves to hop full speed around our yard so he needs plenty of space to get his exercise. He does well with our dog, cats & chicken but that is because he was raised with them. I cannot say how he will do with animals he has never met.

I have read that they do not like other animals (even other Roos) except for the ones they were raised with, but Rocko is still young so there's still plenty of time for adjustments to be made before he reaches adulthood (around 4 yrs old).

Rocko stays outside full time with access to our garage. If the weather gets really bad he is allowed inside the house and wears a diaper (large pull up with tail hole cut out). He sleeps in a dog bed with a stuffed toy which he likes to cuddle with.

Keep in mind that wherever Rocko is kept, you will no longer have beautiful flowers or plants growing (if applicable) as he nibbles at and eats flowers, leaves, grass.....they are purely herbivores. I planted Hibiscus and a vegetable garden in the yard just for Rocko to nibble on (no tomato plants as the stems & leaves are toxic to all animals, including humans). He also eats Kangaroo feed which the Steinhauser's in Alvin carries. He loves bread & crackers, etc (I will give you the full rundown of his care and likes - you won't have to worry, you won't be left guessing & you can always contact me with any questions/concerns on his care). I would also like to visit him from time to time.

I am deeply saddened on having to make such a decision. Rocko is my son and with him having to go, it will be like me losing a child. It hurts so much to even write this ad so please only SERIOUS INQUIRIES ONLY. Please do not contact me asking me why i am not turning him over to a rescue or sanctuary or bashing me for not doing so. If you read the ad fully, you will know that Roos do not do well with other roos unless they were raised by them. He needs a loving home with a family because he sees himself as a human. I am going to be very selective on where he goes, so please don't be offended if you are not chosen. Its just that i know Rockos personality and I know best on where/who he might be the best fit.

Please do your research on owning a kangaroo as a pet/family member before inquiring. Joeys are just like rambunctious toddlers & they get into EVERYTHING. i cannot even plant a tree without Rocko getting into the hole I'm digging and trying to eat the tree that i am trying to plant (& then digging up the tree after planting). If you have any garbage cans, small kennel enclosures, containers or barrels within reach of him, He will be inside them or have them knocked over and whatever is inside them will be all over the place.

Rocko is neutered and even though i can put a harness/leash on him, he Will not walk on one. It is just to keep him from getting scared & running off while not enclosed in yard. Gates must be LATCHED at all times as he is very curious as to what foliage is on the other side of the fence and will try to open the gates. He does not like water (on him) so he will need shelter from the elemets. He likes to dig holes so a sand box or something for him to dig in he would like.

I am asking $4k for him. He will come with his punching bag/stand, large stuffed animal that we hang from a tree for him to roughhouse with, large dog bed, small stuffed toy he sleeps with, harness/leash (even though he's almost outgrown them), couple of bottles, 2 special nipples/teats, his formula, kangaroo feed, something with my scent on it so you can have it around you while he is transitioning (he uses smell mostly to identify people). His vet is an exotic vet located in league city. He's never had the need to go yet since roos don't require shots, but i will give you the info in case the need to see a vet ever arises.

Please ensure your city or county ordinance allows kangaroos/marsupials before inquiring. Typically, roos are classified as livestock.

SERIOUS INQUIRIES ONLY!!

Located in Pearland, Texas.

Thanks to Zara Corsten-Ibarra for pointing out this ad.

Alabama: Girl, 9, gets too close to kangaroo inside fence at safari park and is grabbed and bitten

ALABAMA -- A mother's phone captured the shocking moment a kangaroo grabbed her nine-year-old daughter by the hair and then bit her on her head and ear.

Jennifer White was recording her family's visit to the Harmony Park Safari in Madison County, Alabama, - one of the family's favorite places - when the animal suddenly reached through its enclosure and attacked her daughter Cheyenne.

The little girl was rushed to the hospital and had to receive 14 stitches in her head.

Speaking about the ordeal her daughter faced, White told WAFF: 'You blame yourself sometimes, like, you know, "why did I take her to the park that day?”, “Why did I take her to see the kangaroo?’”

Cheyenne's initial encounter with the kangaroo was harmless. She was playing with him, mimicking his actions as he did her's. The footage showed that her three-year-old sister had even reached out her hand to the animal.

Suddenly the park animal poked its clawed fingers through the park's fence - which was punctured with large holes - and bit her while she was bent over.

'I thought it was playing,' Cheyenne told WAFF. 'I’m just glad that it got me instead of my baby sister, because it would have hurt her even worse.'

Alabama law states that agri-tourism businesses like this park cannot be held responsible for visitors' injuries.

'You are assuming the risk of participating in this agri-tourism activity,' the law reads.

'An agri-tourism professional is not liable for injury, sickness, or damage to, or the death of, a participant in an agri-tourism activity at this location if the injury, sickness, damage, or death results from the inherent risks of the agri-tourism activity.

'Inherent risks of an agri-tourism activity include...the potential for you to act in a negligent manner that may contribute to your injury.'

The details from this law as well as plaques reading 'I bite' are posted on a sign at the entrance of the park and on the animal's fence, respectively, but White says this is not enough to keep visitors from danger.

She says the park owners can minimize risk by replacing their fences with more protective barriers.

“It’s real thin, it’s right here. You can clearly see it or pet it or it could touch you, which makes you feel more, like, safe,' she told WAFF.

'And I think children not being able to access the animal by reach or the animal to the children would help a whole lot.

'I don’t want it to happen to someone else’s kid, because they may not be as fortunate as my daughter was.'

The park owners have declined to comment about the attack.

I have been to several of these parks and there is always a danger of something happening. I saw a man scratching the neck of a camel once and suddenly the camel swung its neck and that big mouth opened and he tried to bite the man. Another guy was spit in the face by a llama. Sometimes the animals would be too grabby with the food; I can see all sorts of injuries occurring. That's why it says they're not responsible for anything on the tickets. 

I feel sorry for this little girl, but it was an accident.

(Daily Mail - May 8, 2017)

Australia: Brave father saves children from wild kangaroo attack

AUSTRALIA -- Two little girls have their heroic father to thank for saving them from an attack by an aggressive kangaroo on Christmas Eve.

The family, from Elderslie, headed to Lake Conjola, near Ulladulla, to celebrate Christmas, but were faced with a situation which could have ruined their holiday.

Matthew Chenhall was walking about 30 seconds behind his daughters Holly, 11, and Amelia, 9, on a rural property when the girls were stopped in their tracks by a 2m (~5 foot tall) kangaroo who appeared to be acting aggressively.

Amelia threw the sausage which was in her hand to lure it away but after eating the food, it came back for more.

“It started to growl and got itself into an attacking position so I got myself between him and the girls straight away,” Mr Chenhall said.

“He got me into a head lock with one claw and tore my ear apart with the other. I managed to get one hand around and put one on his chin before he let me go.”

Substantially injured and dazed, Mr Chenhall told his daughters to head back to their mother Janyne at their camp site and he followed closely behind.

“I had some blood spluttering out of my ear so I wanted to clean that up a bit before the girls saw it because they were quite traumatized,” he said.

An ambulance was called which took Mr Chenhall to Shoalhaven District Memorial Hospital. Luckily, a plastic surgeon was available who treated his torn ear with 12 stitches.

“The doctors told me it was really lucky that I managed to get in between him and the kids,” he said.

“They said if it did that to me, imagine what it could have done to them. It could have killed them.”

Mr Chenhall returned to the Lake Conjola site at 4am on Christmas Day to be with his family. After the incident, he said he spoke with wildlife experts who told him people feeding kangaroos made them more aggressive.

“They become desensitized to humans feeding them. And so when they don’t get any more food or the food runs out they can become aggressive,” he said.

Information on the Office of Environment and Heritage website instructs people not to feed kangaroos.

“Unnatural food sources often create unbalanced kangaroo numbers, and cause aggressive behavior and sickness,” it reads.

According to the information, Mr Chenhall’s incident was rare with only five people in NSW treated for kangaroo-related injuries each year.

People are also warned not to walk directly towards a kangaroo and completely avoid ones that are growling or clucking.

Mr Chenhall said he was unsure whether it was an eastern grey or red kangaroo.

(Daily Telegraph - January 6, 2017)

Australia: Horrific moment young thugs stab and burn a kangaroo with a cigarette - then upload the vile attack to Snapchat

AUSTRALIA -- A group of young men who ran down a kangaroo before stabbing it and burning it with a cigarette captured the whole act on video.

The brutal attack occurred in South Australia on June 10 where it is believed the men hit the kangaroo with their car before torturing it.

The men captured each torturous moment on the photo and video sharing app Snapchat.

Images from the video show the badly bleeding kangaroo lying on the side of the road at night.

A picture of the animal’s head shows blood pouring from its mouth, nose and ears.

Another gruesome image shows the kangaroo facing the camera, one eye popping from its head and the other one swollen shut.

The RSPCA is investigating the matter and allege the animal was stomped on repeatedly by the group of young men until its head ‘fell off’.

The Chief Inspector of RSPCA in the state, Andrea Lewis, says a 17-year-old from Adelaide’s southern suburbs has been interviewed over the incident.

The RSPCA are calling for anyone who has viewed the original video – or who may have a copy of it to come forward.

'Penalties for aggravated animal cruelty are up to four years imprisonment or a fine of up to $50,000,'Ms Lewis said.

(Daily Mail - Aug 18, 2016)

Australia: Orphaned kangaroo is adopted by police officer

AUSTRALIA -- Constable Scott Mason's world has changed - with a new baby and a orphaned kangaroo coming into his life in the same week.

The constable, who is stationed in Cue, 650km northeast of Perth, ended up with the Joey after its mother died when she was hit by a truck.

The joey survived the impact inside its mother's pouch and was rescued. It has now latched on to the local constable and hops around the police station following Scott wherever he goes.

Video of the joey climbing into the Scott's t-shirt as if it was a pouch has been posted on the WA Police Facebook site:

Constable Mason from Cue Police Station thanks everyone for their input into the naming of the cute little rescue Joey. Drum roll please ..... Cuejo Special thank you to Jennifer Evans with coming up with the name - very clever indeed :)

Posted by Western Australia Police on Thursday, March 10, 2016

The first problem for Scott was what to call the joey.  He put out a call on social media and was soon swamped with suggestions.

Among them were Copper Hopper, Crime Hopper and Busta but Scott settled on Cuejo.

?Scott said that he expected to have his hands full over the next few months.

"Because it needs to be fed every three hours, it's going to be my little child basically as my wife's in Perth with our newborn," he said.

Scott said he has good support from the Cue Wild Animal Rescue group.

(WA News - March 12, 2016)

Pennsylvania: Police allege kangaroo, numerous other animals, lived at unclean Kane property

PENNSYLVANIA -- It’s not every day that police find a kangaroo when investigating a cruelty to animals complaint.

Yet that’s exactly what happened at 1000 JoJo Road in Wetmore Township earlier this week.

Kane-based state police went to the property at about 8:30 a.m. Tuesday to investigate an anonymous complaint made through the Department of Agriculture.

What they found was multiple animals living in unclean and unsanitary conditions. The animals were 21 dogs, 12 horses, an alpaca, a pig and a kangaroo.

“It’s definitely a strange case,” said Trooper Ryan Marcinko of the Kane barracks.

Cruelty to animal charges will be filed against the following Kane residents: Robert B. Swanson, 57, Selene N. Swanson, 75, Vanessa S. McGivern, 48, and Christopher M. Moore, 39, according to police.

Phone numbers for the four could not be located immediately on Wednesday.

There was no indication that possession of the kangaroo was illegal.

State police also notified the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, the state dog warden and the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

The DEP was called due to a large mound of manure that was running off across the road into a stream, according to Marcinko.

Details remained sketchy on Wednesday, with the Department of Agriculture Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement referring questions to the state police and the McKean County SPCA.

The DEP and Game Commission did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

As of Wednesday evening, it appeared that only the kangaroo had been removed from the property. No one could immediately answer questions regarding the whereabouts of the marsupial at that time.

A spokesperson for the SPCA said only that they had been contacted by the state police, but were not able to enter private property to remove animals on their own. She indicated they were awaiting further direction from the state police in the matter.

Chris Niklaus of Kane, who lives down the road from Swanson, was unaware of the charges brought against them. He remembers taking horse riding lessons at the farm when it was still owned by the Attigan family as a child. Niklaus was unaware the farm had changed hands.

According to McGivern’s Facebook page, she gives horse riding lessons there and has photos of what appears to be a pet kangaroo named “Romeo.”

(Bradford Era - Dec 31, 2015)

Kangaroo escapes, goes on a walkabout in North Ridgeville

OHIO -- Police got an unusual call Friday morning when someone spotted a kangaroo hopping his way down Lorain Road.

After determining that the caller had not been sampling the holiday punch, police found Foster the kangaroo taking a bit of a walkabout.

The police officer knew the 'roo and knew he belonged to Candice and Joe Hanna, who lived nearby.

"We got a call and were asked if our kangaroo was missing around 6 a.m.," said Candice. "Sure enough he was not in his heated barn, though we can't figure out how he got away. He could not have gotten over the eight-foot-high fence."

They retrieved Foster, a three-year-old kangaroo, who was just quietly standing with police waiting to be picked up.

"He's very scared, he's still upset," said Candice Friday afternoon. "When kangaroos get scared they sweat a lot from their arms. They sweat so much that they actually get dehydrated, Foster's still upset about his little adventure."

Candice and her husband run Little Big Farm, a 10-acre retreat and home for animals they have rescued and nursed back to health.

She said Foster came to them when he was a baby.

"He was young, too young to have been separated from his mother," she said. "We bottle-fed him, I carried him around in a pouch. He was potty-trained and lived inside the house for more than a year. He's a sweet guy, very lovable. We built a habitat for him in the barn, with heat so he feels at home."

The couple has a menagerie of animals at the farm, each with a hard-luck story. They have a negai antelope; a Brazilian Indu cow; a humped, south Asian bull called a zebu; many different kinds of goats and a variety of horses from giant Clydesdales to three-foot-tall mini-horses.

"Everyone gets along with everyone else," she said. "If not, we send them to another place to live. Every animal here is friendly and content."

She said she was pleased that the North Ridgeville police officer knew them and knew where the kangaroo lived.

"The officers come over here with their families to see the animals," she said. "We're glad he knew to call us as soon as he recognized Foster."

(Cleveland.com - Nov 27, 2015)

Charlie the kangaroo a source of comfort at home for veterans in Salt Lake City

UTAH -- For many veterans, the support of therapy animals can be life-changing, and for residents at a Salt Lake veterans home, an unusual animal is filling that role.

“We have dogs, cats, we have a hundred-pound sulcata tortoise who is now in hibernation, and we have Charlie the kangaroo,” said Noralyn Kahn, an administrator at the William E. Christoffersen Salt Lake City Veterans Home.  “In the last 16 years, I’ve raised 14 kangaroos in my nursing home."

Charlie is growing up with the love and support of dozens of residents.

 

“As a tiny kangaroo, they can hold him and love him, and feed him a bottle," Kahn said. "And, as he gets bigger, he just hops all over the facilities.".

Kahn acknowledges it's an unusual sight: “I’ve had a resident call their family and say ‘You know, a kangaroo just hopped by’, and it’s like, ‘Mom, we need to look at your medication.’”

Resident Art Nunn said he was shocked the first time he saw Charlie.

 

“Well, the first time I was, I thought I’d lost my taw," he said. "And then I got thinking, 'Wait a minute. He's wearing a diaper. He must belong here.'"

Still, the results speak for themselves.

“He's my friend, he's my friend,” one resident said while holding Charlie in her arms.

Staff members said Charlie brightens up the home.

“He is an amazing therapy pet that allows the residents to laugh, the children aren’t afraid to come see grandma and grandpa cause they can come see Charlie, it’s all positive,” Kahn said.

And the veterans agree.

“People don't believe that they can walk over and pat a kangaroo, and I say never miss a chance, you'll never know when it will happen again," Nunn said.

And for some, the experience can be life changing.

 

“They love to be touched, they love to be held, and that touch, that furry touch or that warm tongue, makes such a difference in the lives of the residents,” Kahn said. “He has done such a great job for those that are depressed, those who maybe aren’t really aware of their surroundings. If you put an animal or a baby in their laps: They come right back home."

Staff members said when the kangaroos reach puberty, they become more aggressive and are sent to a farm to live out their remaining days.

However, they said Charlie hasn't shown any signs of aggression at this point, so he can continue to provide therapy for the residents.

(FOX13 - Nov 15, 2015)

Australia: Cootamundra man, 18, facing animal cruelty charges after chasing down and killing more than 100 kangaroos for fun

AUSTRALIA -- Police have laid charges against a Cootamundra man over a shocking case of animal cruelty.

Local police allege the 18-year-old man illegally killed more than 100 eastern grey kangaroos. 

They say he entered properties north of Cootamundra on a number of occasions between June and October.

There, police say he would 'hunt' the kangaroos by running them down in his vehicle. 

He will face court in relation to charges including animal cruelty, harm protected fauna and malicious damage following an investigation into the kangaroo deaths.

The man will appear at Cootamundra Local Court on December 7.

(Hawkesbury Gazette - Oct 21, 2015)

Wisconsin: "I Need Kangaroos to Cope" - city disagrees

WISCONSIN -- Diana Moyer’s five kangaroos go everywhere with her—but the town of Beaver Dam wants to ban the joeys from local stores.

The day Diana Moyer fell in love with kangaroos, she was trying to unload some rats.

It was July 2008 and the Wisconsin resident and her husband were at an exotic animal auction in Missouri, attempting to sell some surplus rodents from their 70-acre farm. There, Moyer spotted a forlorn little joey in a cage, half-price at $900 for his deformed tail and brain damage.

"I saw him lying with his broken tail and sad little face," Moyer, 54, told the Daily Beast. "He just needed somebody to love him. He was such a dreamboat. I loved him so much."

Back then, Moyer had no idea she'd take home a marsupial—or that he would become one of a mob of kangaroos, which she considers therapy animals for her cancer and depression.

In February, one of Moyer's ‘roos made international news after she brought it to a McDonald’s in Beaver Dam and a customer called the cops.

Jimmy, a one-year-old kangaroo, was contentedly strapped into an infant car seat as Moyer and a friend were engaged in a Golden Arches coffee klatch. “Nobody even knows he’s in there,” Moyer said, adding that kangaroos “love the feeling and the comfort of car seats.”

The marsupial enthusiast claims, contrary to media reports, that she wasn’t kicked out of the fast food joint. No one asked her to leave, she says, but a police officer approached her on the way out. That's when she brandished a doctor's note indicating Jimmy was a companion animal devoted to lifting her spirits during cancer treatments.

But to the city of Beaver Dam, a doctor’s note does not translate into a certified service animal.

Now the town is proposing an ordinance to keep Moyer’s “therapy pet” out of local establishments.

The proposal amends local law to define service animals only as dogs or miniature horses, as per Americans with Disabilities Act regulations. The city council will vote on June 15 after two hearings, officials told The Daily Beast.

“They’re picking on me,” Moyer said. “I’ve never claimed Jimmy was a service animal anyway. He’s a therapeutic animal. Whatever they want to do … I don’t care. It has nothing to do with Jimmy.”

She had harsher words for WISN-TV in Milwaukee: “They're definitely targeting me ... because I'm disabled.”

But Beaver Dam city attorney Maryann Schacht disagrees, saying the proposed law is for citizens’ safety as well as Moyer’s own protection.

“[Moyer] came into McDonald’s with her little kangaroo wearing a diaper and coat,” Schacht told The Daily Beast. “She said it was a therapy animal instead of a service animal. There is no such thing in the state of Wisconsin as a therapy animal.”

“If you look at the [ADA] statute, you can look at all the reasons why people use dogs or ponies, but they don’t define kangaroos as part of that assembly,” she added.

Moyer vows to continue treating Jimmy to daytime jaunts, even if it means forgoing the fine dining of Beaver Dam with her therapy animal, just “to keep the peace,” she said.

Her kangaroo kingdom is in Columbus, about 13 miles south of the soon-to-be marsupial-free zone. Her farm, Ricky’s White Tails, is owned by her ex-husband, but she and her current spouse, Larry, help run it and live in a 36-foot camper onsite.

This kangaroo looks pretty scary

Just outside their mobile home is the fenced acre where her five kangaroos live: 6-year-old Charles; her nearly 7-foot-tall “breeder buck,” Ruby, 5; Anna, 3; Perry 2; and the year-old Jimmy. Moyer is awaiting a shipment of five more ‘roos in the near future.

“They’re one of the most loving, faithful animals you’d ever want to be with,” Moyer said. “They start out so small and they’re depending on you. They need so much attention and care, it keeps our mind off having cancer.”

Moyer said she gets her red kangaroos from a Wisconsin-based exotic animal broker, and that females run up to $3,500 and males, $2,000. ("He brokers any animal you're looking for. One year he asked me if I wanted a white rhinoceros for $100,000. Last time he called me he had a bunch of hyenas. He's an awesome guy.")

Moyer and her husband also tend to a single llama, as well as goats, sheep, white-tailed deer, peacocks, emu, horses, miniature horses, and a variety of other creatures on their homestead.

Everywhere Moyer goes, little Jimmy goes too. She’s taken him to a mall in Madison so many times the security guards and food court workers know her as the Kangaroo Lady. He also goes to church and accompanied her to see the movie “Taken 3.”

Diana and Larry Moyer took another baby ‘roo on road trips to Florida in 2008, when the critter-loving couple first made headlines.

Their RV broke down three times and Larry had a stroke on the way to the Sunshine State, and when the Tampa Tribune caught up with them, a fuse-box fire destroyed the motor home.

Jack, the kangaroo from the Missouri auction, was on a leash and feasting on grass at a local park. Also along for the ride was Edward, a disabled goat whose front legs had been injured in a car wreck and who ambled around with a cart.

To Moyer, both pets were service animals for depression and anxiety.

“They were buddies. They would go everywhere with us,” Moyer told The Daily Beast, adding that Jack and Edward were registered with Service Animal Registry of America, which apparently is a certification-for-a-fee program (the ADA does not require certification for service animals).

The kangaroos aren’t her only guardian animals. Edward the goat saved her life one day when she had a staph infection in her leg. It was bleeding, and the goat broke down her door and alerted her mother, who was nearby, Moyer said.

Other Americans are looking to kangaroos for comfort, too. A depressed Oklahoma woman fought city officials to keep her partially-paralyzed ‘roo in her home. In 2011, the Broken Arrow City Council created an exotic animal ordinance exemption that permitted Christie Carr to live with Irwin, her therapy pet.

“Unless you’ve had one and know one, you probably do think, ‘What in the heck would you want a kangaroo for?’” Moyer said. “Once you get to know one at a certain age, when it’s got to be bottle-fed around the clock, you get attached.”

Jimmy sits on Moyer’s lap like a small dog as she watches TV or sits on her computer. He dines on a kangaroo kibble called Happy Hopper, and greets Moyer at the door when she comes home.

“You just have to experience them before you can really appreciate them,” Moyer said. “That’s all I can say about it.”

(Daily Beast - May 21, 2015)

Kangaroo joey shot with arrow at Durras

AUSTRALIA -- A kangaroo joey has been shot through the head with an arrow on the NSW South Coast.

WIRES volunteers were called out to Durras Lake North Holiday Park to rescue the joey on Friday.

The Eastern Grey Kangaroo is less than one meter tall, around 18-months-old,and was last seen hopping into the Murramarang National Park.

 

“This is another victim of reckless behavior towards animals in NSW," WIRES spokesperson Justin McKee said. "It is one of a growing list of native animals being shot with arrows around the state.”

“Unfortunately the joey was rounded up by its mother to join others and hopped into Murramarang National Park before it could be rescued.

“The joey appears to be part of a group of kangaroos that regularly feed in the grounds of the caravan park and probably only travelled a few hundred meters into the national park and will return at dusk to feed again.

“WIRES is coordinating a group of volunteers to conduct a search this afternoon and we hope to rescue the joey and bring it into care.

“Its ability to travel isn’t overly affected at this point, but its ability to feed is. Eastern grey joeys suckle for a lot longer than other kangaroo species. If it’s still feeding from its mother, it won’t be able to.” Mr. McKee.

WIRES has alerted the National Parks and Wildlife Service in the South Coast Region of the situation and police were called to the scene.

Police are conducting an investigation and would like any witnesses to contact Batemans Bay Police Station.

The shooting of an animal with an arrow is prosecutable under three Acts in NSW,  the Firearms Act 1996, National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1979.

Fines for this kind of offence are in the thousands of dollars, alternatively, a conviction may also result in a custodial sentence.

"It's time to stop trying explain these events away by blaming children or unlicensed hunters and start acknowledging that the regulations in place in NSW are not working. We need to tighten regulations around the sale of bows and arrows and how they are stored at a very minimum,” Mr McKee said.

(Bega District News - Mar 21, 2014)

Australia: Thirteen-year-old girl attacked by two wild kangaroos

AUSTRALIA -- Two kangaroos pinned Jade Bassett in the scrub and clawed her body for 25 minutes.

The 13-year-old threw herself face down in a ditch to try to get away, but the kangaroos continued to attack, in bushland at Oakhampton.

She put her legs together and kicked upwards to fight them off, but the roos jumped forward and gouged her legs.

The Rutherford teenager had tried to outrun them but they trapped her.

One of the eastern grey kangaroos rose on its legs and kicked her, knocking her to the ground. She got up, but a kangaroo  pulled her backwards by the hair. Then the other hit her stomach with its front claws.

If her grandfather Kevin Henderson had not been nearby and startled them with his screams and a large stick, Jade’s injuries could have been a lot worse. Her grandmother Carol said it was a miracle that Jade didn’t get her eyes scratched out.

Jade and her grandfather went to Walka Water Works on Tuesday at 5pm so she could use the jogging track.

It was the first time she had been able to run in five months because she suffers from vocal cord dysfunction and had been undergoing treatment to strengthen her respiratory system.

She had been running for two or three minutes when she encountered three buck kangaroos about 1.6 metres tall (about five foot, three inches).

"They were standing on the track and wouldn’t move when I got closer so I went around them," she said. "I was about five metres away from them when one started following me. I ran to one side of the track thinking it would move past me, but it kept following me.

"It kicked me and I fell on my back. I tried to push its legs away and it bit my hand and grabbed at my chest and face. It was on top of me and it was so strong.

"When I ran back to the main track, another kangaroo hit me on the head and the back. I had a kangaroo on the side of me and one in front of me.

"They were hissing and grunting and showing their teeth, then they scratched me. I couldn’t reach their face because they were so tall."

Jade’s legs and chest bore the brunt. Some of the puncture marks and scratches are deep.

Concerned that someone else might be attacked, she urged people to be careful of kangaroos.

The attack was inevitable according to Ray Ellicott who has lived in Oakhampton for more than 50 years.

He warned council workers at Walka Water Works a few years ago when the local kangaroo population kept increasing.

"Some of those big bucks are two metres high," Mr Ellicott said. "They are dangerous and they will attack."

There are about 400 eastern grey kangaroos living in scrub near Walka Water Works, according to Oakhampton residents.

Males weigh about 70kilograms and females around half that.

They are visible at dawn and dusk and have been sighted along the Hunter River, at the Belmore Bridge, and at Hungry Jacks and the Rutherford soccer fields on the New England Highway.

Oakhampton residents believe housing developments in Aberglasslyn are forcing kangaroos, which once grazed on that land, to move into Oakhampton.

National Parks and Wildlife personnel and Maitland City Council’s ranger will visit the attack site today.

Maitland City Council’s community and recreation services manager Lyn Morton thought this was the first time an attack had happened at Walka Water Works.

She said the council would erect signs at the site to warn people to look out for kangaroos.

(The Herald AU - Dec 18, 2013)

Australia: Kangaroo attacks girl at Wyangala

AUSTRALIA -- A seven-year-old Orange girl had a lucky escape on the weekend following a kangaroo attack near Cowra which left her covered in large scratches and bruises.

On a family holiday at Wyangala Dam, the unprovoked attack at 6pm on New Year’s Day left Makayla McEvoy pinned down by a rogue kangaroo as she fought for her life.

Makayla received extensive scratches and bruising to her face, arms, back and legs following the attack which left her in hospital.

Mother Emma McGovern said she “just froze with fear” at the terrifying sight of her daughter being attacked by the wild animal.

“As I turned around I just saw it and it didn’t register straight away what happened,” she said.

“She didn’t make a sound or scream,” Mrs McGovern said of her daughter as the large animal ripped into her daughter’s skin.

It was step-father Mitch McGovern along with other holiday makers who came to the rescue of young Makayla.

“I ran down, it was on top of Makayla and just kicked the kangaroo,” he said.

However he said it then tried to attack him, “I kicked it about five metres and it growled and just kept jumping back”.

“It just grunted at me and wouldn’t get off me,” he said.

Mrs McGovern said Makayla and a few other children were standing about 10 metres away from where the kangaroos were feeding when the attack happened.

A terrified Makayla was rushed to Cowra Hospital following the attack and was later released the same day with superficial injuries.

“Makayla said all I could see was just grey and grey and it wouldn’t get off me,” Mrs McGovern said.

She said the family holidays at the popular camp site each year and there are always kangaroos in and around the campground, however this year they were in greater numbers.

A complaint was made to Wyangala Waters State Park by the family, however they were told “they are wild animals and they should be treated as such”.

WIRES (NSW Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service Inc) Central West large mammals coordinator Kimberley Parker said it is very out of character for a kangaroo to attack a person.

“I’m just gobsmacked ... they should have jumped away, they’re more scared of us,” she said.

Based on the parents’ description, Mrs Parker said the animal could have either been a juvenile eastern grey kangaroo or a wallaroo.

“Their instinct is to flee ... she’s been extremely unlucky, it’s not in their behaviour to attack.”

Mrs Parker said a full-grown eastern grey kangaroo could kill a person, “ultimately they’re still a wild animal”.

Wyangla Waters State Park manager Russell McLeod was contacted by the Central Western Daily but declined to comment.

(Central Western Daily - January 2, 2012)

Australia: Police use pepper spray on kangaroo after it attacked 94-year-old woman hanging her laundry

AUSTRALIA -- A 94-year-old grandmother told of her life-and-death battle with a giant kangaroo which bowled her over as she was hanging out her washing.

For the next terrifying five minutes Mrs Phyllis Johnson desperately shielded herself from the big red kangaroo's kicks, at one stage managing to reach a broom to try to beat it away.

'I thought it was going to kill me,' the old lady said as she recovered in hospital in Charleville, in outback Queensland.

'I grew up with boxing kangaroos being a part of everyday life because they were a feature in travelling circuses. But this fellah was a monster and for some reason took a dislike to me.'

Mrs Johnson had walked out from the small flat where she lives in Charleville to hang up the washing, a Sunday routine.

'Suddenly this 'roo came crashing through all the clothes and came straight for me.

'I happened to have a broom nearby and I just started swinging at it.

'I bashed it on the head but it kept going for me. Not even the dog would help - it was too frightened.'

Mrs Johnson told Brisbane's Courier Mail that bruised, scratched and bleeding she finally managed to escape by crawling like a commando across the back yard. She reached a post and used it to pull herself upright before retreating indoors.

There, she phoned her son to come to her rescue - because the kangaroo was still in the back yard.

Despite using a stick for protection, Mrs Johnson's son was unable to shoo the kangaroo away, so the couple called the police.

Two officers from the local police station turned up - and the kangaroo turned on them.

They were forced to use capsicum spray to subdue the animal, which was in 'panic mode,' said Senior Sergeant Stephen Perkins, officer in charge of Charleville police station.

'As it ran away from the officer who sprayed it, the kangaroo went for the other police officer and he also had to use his spray from getting hurt,' said Sergeant Perkins.

'You could say it's one of the many unusual calls we get out here.'

From her hospital bed, Mrs Johnson said: 'I wasn't planning to come here, but I was pretty bruised and scratched up.

'My son made me come here. I'm OK, although the 'roo took a chunk of flesh out of my leg and there's a chance they'll have to operate.

'I've always had a soft spot for 'roos. I used to feed them next door, give them some bread and they've always been so gentle.

'They weren't as big as that one, though, and they've never gone for me like that. This one seemed to target me. It was putting its feet into me and kicking.'

Wildlife rangers were later trying to trap the kangaroo and are hoping to find out how it came to be in the vicinity - they are usually much further away from houses.

(Daily Mail - July 28, 2011)