Rogue Kangaroos Run Loose in Several Texas Cities

When you think of Texas animals, you don't typically think of kangaroos. Instead, you think of cows, bulls, longhorns, horses, and maybe even an armadillo. You don't think kangaroos.

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Kangaroos are not native to Texas.  They are native to countries (Australia and Papua New Guinea) thousands of miles away across thousands of miles of oceans.

Why in the world would you find rogue kangaroos in Texas?

One would think the only place you would find a kangaroo is in a zoo.   However, that's not the case.  Texas is home to many people who own exotic animals which includes kangaroos.

Amarillo, Texas

In Amarillo, Texas, a man named Rick Looby owned a private zoo. One of the animals in his zoo was a kangaroo, which went missing on September 25, 2021.

On October 12, 2021, Christopher Potts and Megan Sandefer were arrested for allegedly stealing the kangaroo.  This caused quite a scandal in Amarillo.

We affectionately refer to the stolen kangaroo as Kangalooby.  The kangaroo was never returned.  Unfortunately, after the theft of the kangaroo, Looby had to close his small zoo and find homes for his other exotic animals.

Amarillo may not seem like a place for kangaroos, but it seems that kangaroos are meant for Amarillo.  About a year after the kangaroo theft, another kangaroo incident occurred in Amarillo.

On October 4, 2022, law enforcement was observed chasing down a kangaroo on I-40.

We all hoped it was Kangalooby, but that wasn't the case.  It was a rouge kangaroo getting his kicks on Route 66.

UPDATE: Amarillo, Saturday, June 8, 2024, the day after this article was published another kangaroo was spotted hopping down I-40 in Amarillo.

Unfortunately, the kangaroo was hit by a car and died.  This kangaroo was owned by Rick Lobby, as mentioned above, Kangalooby2.

Read More: Rick Looby's Kangaroo Hit and Killed on Amarillo's I-40 |

Amarillo isn't the only place in Texas with rogue kangaroos.

Eureka, Texas

In July 2020, two kangaroos escaped The Benda Ranch in Eureka, Texas.  The Benda Ranch is home to many exotic animals and not-so-exotic animals.  The kangaroos had just arrived at their new home when they escaped.  One of the kangaroos was caught and returned, the other was MIA.

Let's add Lufkin, Texas to the list of rouge kangaroos.

On May 23rd, two kangaroos escaped their enclosures and were hopping around the streets of Lufkin.

Ma'am I don't know who I need to call

You never know what kind of animal you'll find loose in Texas, most of the time is a loose cow, dog, donkey, horse, or goat, but you don't expect to hear, there's a kangaroo loose in Texas.  Especially not this often.

It's Kangacrazy!