According to reports, man strangled to death his neighbor’s pet kangaroo after saying the animal attacked his wife. The neighbor and his wife reportedly tried to lure the kangaroo back to its enclosure. The neighbor’s wife was reportedly assaulted by the kangaroo after she and her husband entered the property in an effort to bring him back to the enclosure. It remains unclear whether or not the husband responsible for killing the kangaroo would face criminal charges.
Officials said that this unfortunate incident occurred on Wednesday at the property owned by Hope and Chris Lea. The property in Tennessee houses a variety of animals, including llamas and emus.
Right after 5 p.m. Wednesday, officers responded to the property after reports of two people who had been in a battle with a male kangaroo named Carter. His owners came home to find their other kangaroos walking around the dead animal, according to reports.
“He didn’t have nowhere to go. He was choked to death in his own space.” Hope Lea reportedly said.
According to reports, Tennessee law allows people to own kangaroos. Kangaroo ownership is also legal with a permit in Washington, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maine and New Jersey. In Wisconsin, West Virginia and South Carolina, a permit is not required for kangaroo ownership.
“We love these animals like they’re our kids. He didn’t deserve to be choked and strangled to death. We’ve had Carter since he was a little nugget. It’s like losing a family member.” Chris Lea reportedly said.
According to Sheriff Bailey, this unfortunate incident occurred when the neighbors saw that Carter had escaped from his enclosure on the owners’ animal farm property. The neighbors reportedly called the Leas to see if they could get the kangaroo back into his normal confinement.
The Leas reportedly told the neighbors that they would be home within an hour to take care of the situation, according to reports. They also told their neighbors that they could feed the kangaroo to lure him back to his area.
Officials said that the neighbor’s wife was reportedly assaulted by the kangaroo after she and her husband entered the Leas’ property in an effort to bring him back to the enclosure. The woman’s husband then strangled the kangaroo to death, according to reports.
Neither of the neighbors were seriously injured, according to reports.
“And he says, ‘I’m strangling the kangaroo now. He grabbed my wife. I’m going to kill him. He’s dangerous. Y’all need to keep your (expletive) animals contained.” Chris Lea reportedly said.
Hope and Chris Lea are now looking into a potential lawsuit against their neighbors over their pet kangaroo’s death. It remains unclear whether or not the husband responsible for killing Carter would face criminal charges. This incident remains under investigation. This is a developing story and it will be updated as new information become available.