Could We See Kangaroos as Pets AND on Dinner Plates in New Hampshire Soon?

I thought this was a joke at first, but it is not. Not at all.

"Two bills being proposed would allow ownership of kangaroos in New Hampshire," according to a WMUR article. "One would let Granite Staters own the animals as pets, while the other would allow kangaroos to be farmed as food."

Woah.

I have so many questions. Like, why do we want kangaroos as pets? Do people actually eat kangaroos? Wait, can they even LIVE in New England?

I'll get to all of those, but first, let's back it up.

"Rep. Michael Granger is proposing a bill that would legalize kangaroo farming," according to a CBS News article. "The New Hampshire group "Free State Food Network" said this should be the "'next step.'"

The group says kangaroo farming has advantages that are beneficial to farms.

 

"The future for kangaroo ownership and farming in New Hampshire is brimming with promise, offering a unique path to economic growth, local food production, and a vibrant, sustainable future for the Granite State," the group said.

Okay, so a bill is really being moved forward. But would people own them? According to this video, yes. Some people in New Hampshire would own a kangaroo because "why not?", as one woman explains in the video.

But back to this question. Can kangaroos survive in the Northeast?

The short answer is yes.

According to an Atlas Obscura article:

All species of kangaroos are herbivores, and even in their native Australia, they are found living in habitats ranging from forests to grasslands. They can even weather colder temperatures. It’s not impossible that a kangaroo population could live off the land in the U.S., but as the largest marsupial on the planet, it would be hard for them hide.

Stephan Nass, founder of the Free State Food Network, said that "I'm originally from Wisconsin. There are kangaroos in Wisconsin," he said. "If they can have them there, we should have them here."

In case you were wondering, Wisconsin has pretty cold temperatures like New England. The average temperature in Wisconsin in January is -2.

So yes. This is a possibility.

Kangaroos COULD be your average pet. Kangaroos COULD be farmed in the future in New Hampshire. After all, supporters of kangaroo farming will say that kangaroos have a smaller impact on the environment than cattle and require 70% less water, according to WMUR.

What do you think, New Hampshire? Would you want this? Would you want them as pets? Would you want them as...meat?