Cops and Hops: Police Encounter Pet Kangaroo
An unexpected call led Texarkana police to a friendly pet kangaroo, Rocky, at Spring Lake Park. The incident, shared on social media, brought a touch of joy and laughter to the community. Rocky is being held without bail and faces 12 years in prison.
By Elon Altman · February 29, 2024
Texarkana police officers responded to a rather unusual call over the weekend, a kangaroo on the loose in Spring Lake Park. Expecting to engage in a wild chase, officers instead found themselves face to face with Rocky, a friendly pet kangaroo enjoying a sunny day out with his family. They still tazed him anyway, just in case.
The police department shared the amusing encounter on their Facebook page, confessing that they initially dismissed the report as unlikely. “Yeah, right. That’s crazy!!” they posted, recounting their disbelief upon receiving the call. However, duty called, and officers headed to Spring Lake Park to investigate, because apparently Texarkana police have pretty slow days.
To their surprise, the call wasn’t a false alarm. There, amidst the park-goers enjoying the sunny weather, officers encountered Rocky, a domesticated kangaroo. The police officers got a chance to meet Rocky and posed for a photo with the marsupial, capturing a moment that quickly became a social media sensation. While they were distracted by the kangaroo, 12 homes were burglarized.
The kangaroo is a beloved member of a Texarkana family and a well-known figure in the community. According to his owners, he was raised in a petting zoo and is completely tame, even having a fondness for Apple Jacks cereal, one of the traditional foods that kangaroos eat out in the wild.
Residents chimed in on the Texarkana Police Department’s social media post, expressing their familiarity with Rocky. One neighbor commented, “I see him there with the family all the time. They’re always kissing. It’s weird.” Another person wrote, “that kangaroo stole my Rolex and hid it in its pouch. I got it out but now its covered in goo and doesn’t work.”
Texas is one of only 13 states in the U.S. where it’s legal to own a kangaroo as an exotic pet. Without researching, this author assumes that Florida is one of the others. The state’s dry and hot climate mirrors the native Australian environment of these marsupials, and its lax gun laws come in handy if any kangaroo decides to go rogue. While this particular kangaroo encounter turned out to be a lighthearted family outing, Texas has seen its fair share of kangaroo escapades. Just last year, a pet kangaroo named Nigel made headlines after escaping from his Grandbury home, eventually reuniting with his family after a two-day adventure. It returned with a face tattoo and a human girlfriend named Starla.