52-year-old Eric Slate died after he fought a kangaroo at a children’s petting zoo in Horry County, South Carolina.
According to officials, Slate died from “multiple blunt force injuries” after entering an enclosure at 5 Star Farms. Slate is the brother of the zoo’s owner, Robert Slate. Eric regularly entered the kangaroo’s enclosure so he could “roughhouse” with a kangaroo named Jack.
It appears Jack might have taken things a little too far this time, as Eric took part in one last unsanctioned, man-versus-marsupial match.
A Kangaroo Named Jack May Have Killed A South Carolina Man Who Tried To Fight It
Local authorities confirmed that all animals, including Jack, are accounted for and not considered a danger to the public. After all, Eric went into the kangaroo’s enclosure. Jack didn’t break out and beat up Eric at home.
Jack has not been euthanized, nor should he, considering that Eric started it and South Carolina is a Stand Your Ground state, after all. Inspectors will evaluate the zoo’s conditions soon, just to be sure.
The petting zoo issued a statement stressing that Jack never left his enclosure and that the facility prioritizes safety for both animals and humans, except for when the petting zoo’s owner’s brother wants to fight one of the animals.
Fatal accidents at petting zoos occasionally happen. In 2022, a camel in Tennessee escaped and killed two men. The camel was later killed by police officers on the scene. There doesn’t seem to be an expectation that Jack will be euthanized.
After all, there appears to be an understanding that wrestling the kangaroo was a part of some sort of normal routine and that there was a natural, pre-acknowledged risk associated with it.
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