Meet the Kangaroo That Was Spotted in a Texarkana Park

At first police officers thought "Yeah, right. "That's crazy!" because, after all, it's not every day you spot a kangaroo hopping around in Texarkana.

Most kangaroos are native to their habitat in Australia and Papua New Guinea. So, seeing one out of its natural habitat other than a zoo can be very rare. Seeing a kangaroo in Spring Lake Park brought up childhood memories of when the park used to have a zoo but there was never a kangaroo until now.

I'm sure this was enlightening to the police department and somewhat humorous at the same time. Police found the kangaroo to be passive, friendly, and tame as there were other families and their pets enjoying the park too.

After police responded to see what in the world was going on, they learned that the kangaroo belonged to a family enjoying a day at the park. The owner Lance Hammonds told the police the kangaroo's name was "Rocky" as in the movie.

This got me thinking of another movie, "Kangaroo Jack" where the kangaroo hops off with a stash of money in its pouch, maybe police should have checked in there. But unfortunately, Rocky is a male kangaroo and doesn't have a pouch only females do, said, Hammonds. Maybe we can get Rocky to star in his very own movie.

Rocky is a Red kangaroo the biggest species of its kind and normally grazes on grass, hay, or pellets. "He loves Apple Jacks", said, Hammonds. Rocky was raised at a petting zoo so the kangaroo is very social and loves people.

I'm sure this was enlightening to the police department and somewhat humorous at the same time. Police found the kangaroo to be passive, friendly, and tame as there were other families and their pets enjoying the park too.

By the way, according to Texas Monthly, Texas is one of only 13 states in the country where it’s legal to keep a kangaroo as a pet. It's believed that over 10,000 red kangaroos are reported to roam freely in Texas.

The state has become popular for raising kangaroos because of its hot climate conditions as in Australia. However, owning a kangaroo is not for everyone, you have to remember they are still wild animals getting kicked by one can still be very dangerous.

Yes, you can it depends on the type of animal a person owns. In Texas, it depends on the type of animal an individual owns. As long as the animal does not fall under Endangered Species or Dangerous Wild Animal they are illegal to own without a filed and approved permit. Kangaroos do not fall into either category and are legal to own.

With all being said, I'm sure that the police and other families enjoying a day at the park will never forget seeing Rocky the Kangaroo.

I bet Rocky would love this old song.