So today I learned that it’s legal to have a pet wallaby in parts of the United States. They’re considered wild and exotic animals, so there are many states that don’t allow it at all. Still, 18 states allow people to keep them as pets, though some require a license.
One of those states is Tennessee and a new wallaby named Jack Jr. is taking Nashville by storm.
If you hadn’t guessed, Jack Jr. isn’t the original Jack the Wallaby.
The original Jack was beloved in the city, often visiting schools, hanging out with musicians, and starring in his own merchandise.
Sadly, when Jack was five years old, he died suddenly of cancer. His owner Alex Fasching and his fans were devastated. Alex didn’t plan to replace Jack right away, but then he learned of a joey in Wisconsin looking for a home.
Little Jack Jr. “J.J.” weighed only three pounds and fit in the palm of Alex’s hand.
He says that while Jack was always moving and shy around people, J.J. loves to cuddle.
And in the six months since J.J. joined the family, he’s grown a lot!
He just celebrated his first birthday, too! Happy birthday, J.J.!
J.J. seems to really love cuddling into his DIY pouches.
There are a whole bunch of different Wallaby species, so it’s unclear which kind J.J. is.
Wallabies are in the same family as the kangaroo. In fact, they are basically any member of the family that’s smaller than a kangaroo or wallaroo.
Whatever you call him, J.J. is super cute.
I could watch him eat his birthday peanut butter tortilla all day.
If you want to follow him too, you can do so on Instagram under @jackthewallaby .
h/t: Nashville Scene
Last Updated on November 14, 2019 by Amy Pilkington