Roger (–2018) was an Australian

red kangaroo The red kangaroo (''Osphranter rufus'') is the largest of all kangaroos, the largest terrestrial mammal native to Australia, and the largest extant marsupial. It is found across mainland Australia, except for the more fertile areas, such as ...

best known for his muscular physique.

Life

Roger was rescued as a

joey Joey may refer to: People *Joey (name) Animals * Joey (marsupial), an infant marsupial * Joey, a Blue-fronted Amazon parrot who was one of the Blue Peter pets Film and television * ''Joey'' (1977 film), an American film directed by Horace ...

by Chris 'Brolga' Barns after Roger's mother was killed by a car. Barns started the Kangaroo Sanctuary on in

Alice Springs Alice Springs ( aer, Mparntwe) is the third-largest town in the Northern Territory of Australia. Known as Stuart until 31 August 1933, the name Alice Springs was given by surveyor William Whitfield Mills after Alice, Lady Todd (''née'' Al ...

to house and protect Roger and other roos, including Roger's

mates Mates is an English surname, and may refer to: * Mates (born 1964), British newsreader and journalist * Michael Mates (born 1934), British politician * Frederick S. Mates, founded the Mates Investment Fund in 1967 that crashed in the bear market ...

. Barns stated following the announcement of Roger's death that "Roger was the sanctuary's

alpha male In biology, a dominance hierarchy (formerly and colloquially called a pecking order) is a type of social hierarchy that arises when members of animal social groups interact, creating a ranking system. A dominant higher-ranking individual is so ...

for many years". Roger grew to be and around . In videos Roger can be seen chasing Barns, who, like all other males, Roger saw as a threat to his

harem Harem ( Persian: حرمسرا ''haramsarā'', ar, حَرِيمٌ ''ḥarīm'', "a sacred inviolable place; harem; female members of the family") refers to domestic spaces that are reserved for the women of the house in a Muslim family. A har ...

. Roger first came to fame in 2015 in a video that went viral, showing a bucket he was said to have crushed. In 2016, Barns announced that Roger was suffering from

arthritis Arthritis is a term often used to mean any disorder that affects joints. Symptoms generally include joint pain and stiffness. Other symptoms may include redness, warmth, swelling, and decreased range of motion of the affected joints. In some ...

Death and reaction

Barns announced Roger's death on 8 December 2018. Roger, also known as "Ripped Roger" and the "Jacked Kangaroo", was 12. Upon hearing of Roger's death, Australian singer

Natalie Imbruglia Natalie Jane Imbruglia ( , ; born 4 February 1975) is an Australian singer and actress. In the early 1990s, she played Beth Brennan in the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours''. Three years after leaving the programme, she began a singing care ...

said "He always brought a smile to my face. Such a proud strong boy", and

Tourism Australia Tourism Australia is the Australian Government agency responsible for promoting Australian locations as business and leisure travel destinations. The agency is part of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and employs 187 staff (includ ...

called him a "true icon". The cause of death was reported as "old age".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Roger Individual animals in Australia 2006 animal births 2018 animal deaths Macropods