A kangaroo is being blamed for the death of a man named Eric Slate in South Carolina after his body was found at a petting zoo.
Slate is said to have had a habit of going into the Australian animal’s enclosure and “roughhousing” with it.
The petting zoo belongs to his brother, Robert.
According to the Horry County Coroner’s Office, Eric’s body was discovered at the facility late Friday night at 5-Star Farm near Loris, which is around 30 miles north of Myrtle Beach.
The New York Post reports that, “Slate, 52, had a “history” of stepping into the kangaroo enclosure and “roughhousing” with it, which is what was happening at the time of his death, local council member Mark Causey told News13.”
Eric Slate’s Brother Doesn’t Believe A Kangaroo Killed Him
5-Star Farm only recently posted footage of Eric and a roo named Mr. Jack interacting, with Eric trying to prevent the animal from hitting him by holding its front legs.
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Eric Slate was found with “multiple blunt force injuries,” but it is not clear which kangaroo killed him, if any.
🔥🚨BREAKING: A Kangaroo is being accused of beating a man who had a ‘history of going at it with the Kangaroos’ to death at a South Carolina Petting Zoo.
— Dom Lucre | Breaker of Narratives (@dom_lucre) May 12, 2025
Eric Slate was found dead in the kangaroo enclosure at a petting zoo in South Carolina. Authorities say the 52-year-old had… pic.twitter.com/WGOp3ZXRDW
Eric’s brother doesn’t believe he was killed by a kangaroo, although he admitted there was some contact. He also revealed that his sibling recently complained of chest pains.
Adult male red kangaroos can reach up to around 200 pounds, grow up to 5ft 11in, and have powerful hind legs. A kick from a kangaroo could cause severe damage to a human being.
Meanwhile, Causey noted that the animal is not aggressive and hasn’t been euthanized.
“It’s not an aggressive animal. It’s very sad… It was not the animal’s fault,” he said.
South Carolina is one of just three states where it isn’t illegal to own a kangaroo.
