Carlie Butler, 27, spotted a kangaroo hobbling out of a gated area Saturday while waiting to be towed on Interstate 20 near Gordon. The marsupial, associated with Australia’s woodlands and savannahs, was hopping along the interstate near Gordon.
Courtesy of Carlie Butler
Carlie Butler was on her way to Lipan from Abilene with her Espressoak coffee trailer to cater a wedding Saturday when she felt a jolt. She was 7 miles from her exit on Interstate 20 when the trailer tipped and sparks flew. But that’s not the weirdest thing that happened.
Butler, 27, moved her truck to the service road to wait to be towed, when she spotted a kangaroo hobbling out of a gated area. The marsupial, associated with Australia’s woodlands and savannahs, was hopping along the interstate near Gordon, a town of around 500 people and about 98 miles west of Dallas.
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Butler said she and her friend watched the kangaroo hop around the service road and nibble on grass for over an hour. A few people came out of the front gate to try and corral the animal back inside with no success, she said.
Butler said the kangaroo almost got hit by a few cars but didn’t travel too far and eventually wandered back onto the property.
Butler posted a TikTok video of the kangaroo, which has over 20,000 likes and left people in the comments questioning whether a wild kangaroo population exists in Texas.
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So, is there a wild kangaroo population in Texas? Here’s what to know.
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Exotic pet laws
Kangaroos, though cool, do not roam free in Texas, Rebecca Hamlin, president of the North Texas Wildlife Center, confirmed.
About 70 marsupial species live in the Americas, mainly in South and Central America, but Hamlin said the only marsupial native to North America is the Virginia opossum.
A baby Virginia opossum, the only marsupial native to North America, pictured at the North Texas Wildlife Center.
Courtesy of the North Texas Wildlife Center
Marsupials, such as kangaroos, are known for a pouch on their stomachs where they keep their young while they finish developing. Most marsupials range from the size of a squirrel to that of a medium-size dog, according to the Britannica website.
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“I saw the video of the kangaroo,” Hamlin said. “No one has come forward or turned in a kangaroo to us recently. I assume it escaped its enclosure; we see this happen with exotics all over Texas.”
The reason Texans may see unusual animals, such as kangaroos, is because the state is one of 14 with lenient exotic pet laws, Hamlin said.
Texas allows private ownership of exotic animals through a license or permit program. According to the Texas Health & Safety Code, no one can own a dangerous wild animal without a certificate of registration.
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Large cats, such as lions, tigers, ocelots, cougars, leopards, cheetahs, jaguars, bobcats, lynxes, servals, caracals and hyenas
Bears
Coyotes
Jackals
Primates, such as baboons, chimpanzees, orangutans and gorillas
The permits are also necessary for exotic snakes, fur-bearing animals such as raccoons and beavers, non-game wildlife, alligators and endangered species, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
What the wildlife center sees
The wildlife center sees a variety of exotic animals that are surrendered or found abandoned, Hamlin said. These range from tortoises, monkeys and peacocks to bearded dragons and guinea pigs.
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“People want these animals and think they’re really cool,” Hamlin said. “It’s a novelty, but if you’re not trained to take care of them then it’s the animal that ends up suffering.”
This African spurred tortoise, also known as a sulcata tortoise, was found in Farmers Branch. When no owner stepped forward, the wildlife center placed it at a rescue.
Courtesy of the North Texas Wildlife Center
Hamlin said exotic pet owners might be discouraged by the rising cost of animal health care and supplies, and the stress of providing specialized care.
Hamlin said the center has seen a 50% increase in patients, including both exotic and domestic animals, since the beginning of 2026.
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A peacock was admitted to the North Texas Wildlife Center after being hit by a car in Sachse. Its owner surrendered it after not being able to afford the veterinary bill and one of the center’s rehabbers adopted it.
Courtesy of the North Texas Wildlife Center
“If an owner thinks their only option is to surrender or dump these animals, they must really be struggling,” Hamlin said.
A kangaroo rebrand
Butler has been self-employed and running Espressoak for over 4 years. She said the kangaroo video gave her the most publicity she’s had from content creation.
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The coffee trailer is still in the shop with blown wheel bearings, but Butler said she’s kept the business going with coffee carts. She ordered kangaroo stickers for upcoming events and plans to rebrand the menu with some kangaroo-inspired drink names.
Butler said she still doesn’t know who owns the kangaroo, and no one has claimed him since she posted the video, but she’s happy she got a chance to experience seeing him firsthand.
“I posted the video, and it took on a life of its own,” Butler said. “It was almost like God sending us some humor, a silver lining, during the worst moment of my career.”