Woman thinks she is training zookeeper, gets surprise proposal with kangaroos

A couple’s love story took a special turn when a surprise proposal unfolded among hopping kangaroos at San Antonio Zoo in Texas. Jordan Hudgins, 22, proposed to Kalee Rush, 24, at the zoo’s Kangaroo Krossing on June 28, with the help of the zoo staff. The moment was meaningful for the couple because both are pre-med students at Austin College, whose mascot is a kangaroo. The zoo later shared pictures from the proposal on social media. “A roo-mantic moment at Kangaroo Krossing! Jordan and Kalee, both pre-med students at Austin College, got engaged alongside the mascot that represents their school. Congratulations!!” the zoo posted on Facebook. The Kangaroo connect “Our story began with us as Roos at Austin College and seems right our next chapter did too!” Rush said as quoted by the People's magazine. Hudgins first met Rush in 2022 when he was a freshman at Austin College whose logo is a Kangaroo and she was a peer mentor for a freshman seminar class. Rush remembered that Hudgins often came to her office hours with questions just to find reasons to talk to her. The two connected over their shared interests, including sports and their goal of becoming medical professionals. They started dating on December 19, 2022. “I still remember the conversations we had in her office hours, and it was really then where I realised she was the one for me,” Hudgins said. “Our story would have never begun had it not been for the Austin College Roos.” The couple had always enjoyed visiting zoos and tried to visit one whenever they travelled to a new place. This inspired Hudgins to choose a zoo as the location for his proposal. A 'wild' proposal Hudgins wanted the proposal to be unexpected because Rush often manages to figure out plans before they happen. He said making sure she did not suspect anything was the most important part of the plan. “The paramount element of this proposal, I knew, had to be surprise,” Hudgins said. After graduating, he started planning the moment and contacted several zoos, wildlife reserves and safari parks across Texas. San Antonio Zoo became his final choice after Jessica Perez, the zoo’s manager, helped him create the surprise. Hudgins convinced Rush to take a trip to San Antonio and visit another zoo. The couple arrived when the zoo opened, and he told her they were there early to avoid the heat. A zoo staff member named Abigail was waiting for them and offered a free kangaroo experience, saying it would help train a new zookeeper. Rush believed the explanation and had no idea a proposal was coming. During the experience, Hudgins guided her towards a sign hanging from a tree that read, “Will you marry me?” It's a 'yes' Rush said she only understood what was happening after seeing the sign. “Jordan and the Zoo had done a phenomenal job coordinating and planning a backstory to fully convince me we had lucked into a free encounter,” Rush said. She added that she was in “complete shock” when she realised Hudgins was proposing. After she said 'yes', the couple celebrated with champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries. They spent the rest of the day at the zoo and returned to Kangaroo Krossing again to enjoy the moment. The zoo also surprised them with a special artwork created with the involvement of one of the kangaroos. The couple will soon begin wedding preparations and hopes to get married next spring. The zoo also announced its Valentine’s Day event earlier this year, “Meet your next ex”, which invited single adults to connect through games, entertainment, karaoke and other activities at the zoo.