A Tennessee family is in mourning during Christmastime after a neighbor strangled to death one of its pet kangaroos.
“We love these animals like they’re our kids, marsupial owner Chris Lea told News 4 Nashville. “He didn’t deserve to be choked and strangled to death.”
According to the unnamed kangaroo killer, he had to take down Carter, Lea’s 5-foot tall, 60-pound roo, after the animal charged at his wife.
The neighbor called Lea as the horrific incident unfolded.
“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,’” Lea recounted to the local media outlet.
But, Lea maintained, Carter never left his property and was still within his perimeter fence. He believes the neighbors had come onto his property to help get Carter back into his normal enclosure.
Lea’s wife, Hope, told News 2 WKRN she had just delivered a gift basket to the neighbor a day earlier after learning he had the flu.
“I was just so upset because I love my neighbors,” she said.
No charges have been filed but Chris Lea told News 4 he’s considering a civil lawsuit.
