Hopscotch the Kangaroo (2019-2025)
Obituary
Hopsctoch died following an infection at a zoo in Pennsylvania.
Hopscotch, a five-year-old female kangaroo, died at the Lehigh Valley Zoo in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania, in March 2025. An infection started in her tongue and spread into her digestive system.
Hopscotch was born at the zoo in June 2019 and remained there her entire life. In the wild, kangaroos spend their days grazing, hopping, and exploring---activities severely curtailed in a zoo enclosure. With their powerful hind legs, kangaroos can jump up to thirty feet high and run up to 30 miles per hour. A typical zoo enclosure provides a fraction of the habitat a kangaroo would enjoy in the wild. Kangaroos are very social, living in “mobs” or groups. More than 100 kangaroos can be in a single mob. Hopscotch lived with only four other kangaroos.
Kangaroos are increasingly used in zoo “encounters” and are common at traveling and stationary petting zoos. These interactions are frightening for kangaroos and dangerous for humans. Kangaroos are very powerful and skilled fighters. They can balance on their tails to execute forceful kicks with their sharply clawed feet.
Though not classified as threatened or endangered, this iconic species is under significant pressure in the wild. Kangaroos face many threats, including habitat destruction, drought, and vehicle collisions. Millions of kangaroos are hunted for their skins every year, and their meat and skin are shipped to countries around the world for use as food and in fashion.
World Animal Protection urges everyone who loves kangaroos to avoid zoos and enjoy them in the wild or at an accredited sanctuary.
