Love Knows No Bounds: My Kangaroo Irwin's Latest Ordeal Forces Heartbreaking Decision

Doneva Littlefield, who has been a devoted owner of dogs and cats for years, had often wondered how she would feel about having a monkey as an unusual pet.

However, when her acquaintance found themselves unable to cope with two young kangaroos they had purchased last June, she seized the opportunity to welcome them into her care.

She had no clue about the situation she was stepping into, and a year later, her pet and her hometown of Durango were affected. Colorado , have repeatedly gone viral internationally.

The elderly kangaroo named Irwin, in honor of the famous wildlife presenter Steve, managed to break free from her enclosure two times – each incident was recorded by the police who then safely returned her.

The initial incident occurred in October when a bewildered resident made a 911 call after spotting a kangaroo wearing a diaper strolling down the street.

Last week, Irwin ran away once more – but was found nearby at a neighbor's place shortly after.

When the officers attempted to close in on him to apprehend him, Irwin leaped – right into the grasp of one of the officers.

"The kangaroo turned out to be much friendlier than I expected," says 24-year-old Officer Shane Garrison from the Durango police force to the Daily Mail.

So moved by the encounter, he volunteered his family’s 40-acre property as a potential new habitat for the kangaroo siblings when Doneva's spouse came to collect Irwin from the station.

"He mentioned finding a new home for it, so I casually suggested that he could let me take it home — and things developed from there," Officer Garrison explains.

This is an option being contemplated by Doneva and her partner, Brian.

"My husband has not been as supportive of this idea (of keeping kangaroos) as I have," she explains.

'Every time I've needed something, he has simply handed over the checkbook.'

Maintaining the care for the kangaroos sets them back up to $600 each month, an expense much higher than either of them had anticipated.

They had a suspicion that it wouldn't be simple.

The initial owner of the kangaroos mentioned that he originally believed it would be 'quite enjoyable,' however, the expenses soon grew unmanageable.

Nevertheless, Doneva proposed buying them and claims she instantly fell in love with them.

When Irwin, who was approximately seven months old, and his little brother, Roo, who was roughly two months younger, came to their new residence in Colorado.

They were hopping into specialized pouches crafted from canvas and plush fabric reminiscent of their mother’s embrace.

She bought Roo and Irwin for $3,000 apiece.

The kangaroos claimed the space in the bedroom of Doneva’s daughter, who was leaving for college.

She filled the bottles halfway with evaporated milk and halfway with water, then attached adult diapers to them.

Irwin, she remarks affectionately, 'has been trouble ever since we brought him home.'

There are no limits for that kangaroo," she remarks. "Whenever I'm eating something and he's nearby, he tries to take it from me... He grabs at anything.

Irwin mentions that he 'has always stayed closely attuned to his surroundings and wishes to be among people,' she explains.

She mentions that he enjoys being noticed, and his antics clearly demonstrate his ability to attract attention effectively.

In last October, when the kangaroos were younger and predominantly stayed indoors, Irwin slipped away through an open door that Brian had forgotten to close while Doneva was away in New Mexico.

She had previously taken the kangaroos out in Durango, which meant that Irwin 'knew his way around and precisely how to return home.'

The moment the police began chasing him, he immediately turned around and rushed directly back to our house, all the way to our backyard.

That's where the police - and Brian - located him.

"My husband simply removed his sweater and held it as a makeshift pouch; Irwin then hopped directly into it," she explains.

Over half a year passed without any issues as the kangaroos continued to grow.

However, Irwin —who has reached Doneva’s eye level at standing height and tips the scales at 70 pounds— unexpectedly set off on another exploration adventure on May 19.

Doneva hadn't slept for about five or six nights.

To acclimate herself with the kangaroos living outdoors, she has adopted a schedule of napping throughout the day and remaining awake through the night, making sure to monitor them every fifteen minutes.

At around 6 am last Monday, though, she looked outside for her usual check – and Irwin was missing.

She rushed back inside 'in a panic' to rouse her spouse, and together they started searching the streets of Durango.

Her husband went to file a police report — only to learn that Irwin had already been taken and brought to the humane society.

However, not before Officer Garrison’s body cam captured the amusing arrest, along with his remark about how plush Irwin's fur seemed.

Doneva isn't precisely sure how Irwin managed to escape, but she thinks it might have happened accidentally.

She ponders whether a wild creature such as a raccoon roaming the streets might have startled him, prompting him to leap over the fence encircling their property.

Now that he has come back, she mentions, they have reinforced the barrier and put in place an oscillating electrified fence again—but proposing a farm might be seen as the most viable solution.

What we're doing isn't sustainable," she states. "I can't continue like this.

He mentions they will be heading over to Officer Garrison's farm and his 'family compound' this weekend; it’s the place where he spent his childhood ‘catching calves, goats, horses, and such.’

"It would be great to raise a kangaroo and ensure they lead a better life, where [Irwin] could roam freely and act naturally," he remarks.

The term 'normal' could seem quite stretched when describing marsupials hopping through the meadows of southwestern Colorado. Over the last year, Doneva has observed people doing double-takes as they pass her house and drivers almost ignoring stop signs altogether.

She's delighted that her kangaroos have become an integral part of Durango's community, and she looks forward to arranging visits whenever she wishes if her animals relocate to neighboring farmlands, whether at Officer Garrison’s place or elsewhere.

"No matter the cost or anything else, I have acquired a lifetime of beauty and tranquility by keeping these creatures," she remarks.

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