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A ZOO worker has been battered to death by a kangaroo – after he climbed into its pen to “roughhouse” with it.
Eric Slate, who was the brother of the petting zoo owner, was found beaten up at 5-Star Farm near Loris, South Carolina, according to cops.
Slate, 52, had a “history” of stepping into the enclosure with the animal according to local media.
He was reportedly “roughhousing” with the kangaroo at the time of his horror death on Friday.
The worker’s exact cause of death is still unclear – but Horry County councilman Dennis DiSabato confirmed that a kangaroo was directly involved in the killing, according to reports.
His corpse was discovered just after midnight on Saturday, with the kangaroo still in the same enclosure.
The family-owned farm had recently posted a picture of a large red kangaroo named Mr. Jack.
They said about the animal: “He loves neck scratches and will take treats from your hands.”
It is not clear if Mr. Jack is the animal that killed Slate.
The tragic brother was found with “multiple blunt force injuries”.
Adult male red kangaroos can weigh nearly 200 lbs. and grow up to 5-foot-11 tall.
They are known for having powerful feet for kicking.
An elderly man was killed by his pet kangaroo in Western Australia in 2022, but it was believed to be the first incident of its kind in nearly 90 years in the country.
5-Star Farm offers interactive petting to its visitors.
The zoo boasts exotic animals – including camels, wallabies and kangaroos, according to owner Robert Slate.
The mourning brother said: “Please keep my family in your thoughts and prayers.”
Local council member Mark Causey described the horrific ordeal, saying: “It just went south.”
He added that the animal had not been put down, and said it was not aggressive.
“It’s not an aggressive animal. It’s very sad… It was not the animal’s fault,” he said.
The council member also said that experts were set to come to the farm this week to make sure the enclosure is safe and the animal is okay.
South Carolina has some of the weakest restrictions in the US on exotic animal ownership.
There are only three states in the US where you can get own a pet kangaroo without a permit: South Carolina, Wisconsin and West Virginia.
