Pet kangaroos are living in Centre Wellington

Kangaroos on the run in Ontario have recently made headlines, but a couple hopping around Centre Wellington are there on purpose.

“I have a very high fence. And I have told them about the rules of the road. They're not allowed to cross the street. I don't want any OPP video of them hopping along the highway,” joked owner Lance Henderson.

He lives just east of Fergus, Ont. and his kangaroos, named Bindi and Gryphon, reside on the property with him.

“Kangaroos -- not something you carry on a leash. You need farm property. So you're usually in an area like mine. It's a dirt road. People aren't coming down here,” Henderson explained.

The farm is surrounded by a fenced-in space, which is equipped with a heated home if the animals don’t want to brave the snow.

Owning kangaroos was a lifelong dream for Henderson, and with a zoology background from the University of Guelph, he was prepared to make that dream a reality.

But as he began to build their home in 2019, council for Centre Wellington began talking about implementing a bylaw that would ban kangaroos and other exotic animals.

“I moved here nine years ago, and at the time, there were no exotic pet bylaws,” Henderson said.

He got the kangaroos to his home in the nick of time, before that bylaw passed.

“When these guys are gone, I can’t replace them. But they’re grandfathered in,” he said.

Lance Henderson feeds a kangaroo at his Centre Wellington, Ont. farm. (Spencer Turcotte/CTV Kitchener)

Since Bindi and Gryphon are here to stay, they do seem to be enjoying the colder climate.

“In the Outback, it’s desert. So it can be single digits to 20s during the day. But at night it will plummet into the minuses. So, kangaroos are built to withstand a lot,” Henderson said. “Don’t get me wrong, they have their heated house. And it’s their choice. They come in and out as they want.”

Although kangaroos have a powerful kick, he’s not concerned.

“It’s not a kick that I’m worried about, it’s getting scratched,” Henderson explained.

However, he adds, they never get violent because they understand they have it made with lots of food and a kangaroo kingdom all to themselves.

Lance Henderson with a kangaroo at his Centre Wellington, Ont. farm. (Spencer Turcotte/CTV Kitchener)

Here are some examples of animals covered under Centre Wellington’s animal control bylaw:

Allowed:

• Dogs
• Cats
• Ferrets
• Goats
• Sheep
• Pigs
• Llamas
• Alpacas
• Cattle
• American Bison
• Pot-bellied pigs
• Horses
• Ponies
• Mules
• Donkeys
• Emus
• Hens
• Roosters (if registered)

Not allowed:

• Racoons
• Kangaroos
• Opossums
• Gorillas
• Monkeys
• Mongooses
• Skunks
• Weasels
• Otters
• Badgers
• Bears
• Elephants
• Seals kiwis
• All raptors including hawks, eagles and owls (except those owned by licensed falconers)
• Aardvarks
• Alligators
• Crocodiles