Tennessee is one of only a handful of states where it's legal to own a kangaroo as a pet.
A Tennessee man is mourning his pet kangaroo that he says was killed a few days before Christmas when his neighbor allegedly strangled the animal to death.
Chris Lea says was out Christmas shopping and received a phone call from his neighbor, saying his 3-year-old kangaroo, Carter, had gotten free from his enclosure and charged at the his wife.
In a 911 call, the wife said she had to "choke it with [her] hands because [the kangaroo] wouldn't let go" and "fought for [her] life."
The heartbroken owner came home to find his beloved pet dead.
“I'm still shocked today that it happened. I'm still kinda sitting here just speechless. I don't know what to do, what to think,” Lea said.
Lea says the 65-pound animal was never a threat to the neighbors.
But kangaroos are very strong and are known for sparring matches with each other. They can become aggressive toward humans, too.
“These are wild animals. They do not make good pets. Male kangaroos, when they feel threatened at all, will defend themselves aggressively, so they will become very aggressive and very dangerous, because they're very powerful,” Ron Magill of Zoo Miami said.
Lea tells Inside Edition that he has no animosity towards his neighbor, but he is heartbroken that his beloved kangaroo is gone.
Tennessee is one of only a handful of states where it's legal to own a kangaroo as a pet.
