UPDATE (16/02/2023) – Nigel returned home to his family early Thursday morning.
HOOD COUNTY, CBSDFW. COM — There’s a North Texas search for an animal you don’t expect to find in those areas.
A kangaroo that a couple in Hood County raised when it was a puppy escaped from its enclosure, prompting screams to locate it.
It’s been a day and a half since Bri Lafleur saw her 3-year-old kangaroo named Nigel.
“He’s my most productive friend. I’ve had him for years, he sleeps with me every night,” Lafleur said. “I can’t sleep because I can’t sleep without my babysitter. “
Nigel is more than a puppy to his Hood County family, he’s also a community celebrity.
That’s according to community celebrity, former Texas Rangers pitching legend Jim Kern.
“He always brought the grandchildren and everyone who came into space saw Nigel the kangaroo,” Kern said. “He’s his friend in life, we have to locate that damn thing. “
Kern has joined others seeking the 220 acres of wooded hills, meadows and bushes just outside Granbury.
Lafleur says the kangaroo surprised with a loud noise early Tuesday and jumped over his fenced garden, where he likes to play with rubber balls and even has his own punching bag.
Nigel saw early this morning not far from space but no one could get close to him.
“I’m so afraid of the coyotes there, I’m afraid they’ll hit him, I’m afraid he’ll get stuck,” Lafleur said. “He never went out at night. “
These professional pig traps are Nigel’s last hope.
They are about to be taken to the domain where they were last noticed and fixed with cameras.
Pig hunters, jeep clubs and experts are mobilizing to assist in this 24/7 search and rescue project to locate Nigel.
Its owners say they also want volunteers with drones and cash for a helicopter to get him out of hiding and tranquilize him from the air while he’s still close to home.
“This is my baby,” Lafleur said.