From understanding a symbol of Australian wildlife to a series of shocking incidents
involving it, this is what happens when kangaroos attack
What Is It?
The Kangaroo is often symbolically associated with its native country of Australia, appearing
on some of its currency as well as on its coat of arms.
Kangaroos are best known for their powerful hind legs, muscular tails and long, pointed
ears.
They are the only large animals that use hopping as a primary form of locomotion.
Kangaroos store elastic energy in the tendons of their hind legs and it’s the springing
of the tendons that powers their hop, rather than the use of their muscles.
They use their strong tails not only for balance but also as type of third leg, pushing off
it when they walk.
The propulsion force of the tail is equal to that of both legs.
The best known kangaroo species are also the largest and the ones people think of most
upon hearing the term.
These are the antilopine kangaroo, the eastern grey kangaroo, the western grey kangaroo and
the red kangaroo.
The latter is not only the largest kangaroo but also the largest extant marsupial and
it can grow to be close to 6ft 8ins tall while weighing over 200 pounds.
Number 7 Greig Tonkins The most viral kangaroo video to surface in
recent years involved a man, a kangaroo, a dog and a punch that echoed around the world.
Greig Tonkins, a keeper at the Taronga Zoo, in New South Wales, divided opinions across
the Internet when he punched a kangaroo that was attacking his dog, Max.
At the time, Tonkins was on a wild boar hunting trip, alongside several friends.
The kangaroo had put Max in a headlock and Tonkins rushed in to save him.
As Tonkins approached the kangaroo, it let go of Max and started hopping towards him.
That’s when Tonkins punched the marsupial square in the face.
Although the animal appeared to be unharmed by the strike, it was quite flummoxed by what
had happened.
Subsequently, Tonkins started receiving criticism and even threats from animal rights organizations.
Others defended his decision to punch the kangaroo believing that it deterred the animal
from further attacks.
Quiz Question Before we move on, answer this question.
Which of these was a sideshow attraction in the 19th century?
a.
Kangaroo Dancing b.
Kangaroo Riding c.
Kangaroo Juggling d.
Kangaroo Boxing Let us know what you think in the comments
section below and stay tuned to find out the right answer.
Where Is It Located?
As previously mentioned, most kangaroos are endemic to the Australian continent.
They tend to prefer different habitats, depending on the species.
For example, red kangaroos are mostly found in the rangelands of western New South Wales
while antilopine kangaroos are found in the woodlands of the far north.
Kangaroos live in social groups, called mobs, of 10 or more members.
Like it is with most marsupials, the mother carries the babies, called joeys, in a pouch
as a form of post-natal development.
Number 6 Jonathan Bishop On March 7, 2019, Jonathan Bishop was paragliding
near Canberra, Australia.
As he was preparing to land in a clearing in the Orroral Valley he saw a group of grey
kangaroos.
One of them suddenly started hopping towards him.
Bishop, who was recording his trip at the time, thought the animal was being friendly.
Just as Bishop was landing the kangaroo attacked twice with its forepaws, before hopping away.
Luckily, the man wasn’t hurt and the video of the attack gained more than 2 million views
online.
Number 5 Attack on Cyclist in Queensland A cyclist, only identified as Rebecca, was
riding her bike in the Boonah region, on Australia Day, 2018.
She was accompanied by six friends, one of whom captured on video the moment a kangaroo
crashed into her.
Amazingly, after knocking Rebecca off her bike the kangaroo landed on its feet and hopped
away.
Rebecca remained motionless on the ground.
Two other cyclists looked after her until the ambulance came.
The impact with the kangaroo left her with a shoulder injury as well as stitches in her
knee and right arm.
According to one of her friends she was well enough to laugh about the incident within
a few days.
How Will It Kill You?
The features that make the kangaroo a fascinating staple of Australian wildlife are the same
that make it a dangerous creature, particularly with larger species.
Their combative spirit is not only evident among incidents with humans, as ritualized
fighting is a common occurrence among all kangaroo species.
While both sexes engage in fights for things like drinking or grazing spots, it’s more
common for males to fight, particularly as a display of dominance.
Two combatants will often adopt a high-standing posture and paw at each-other’s chests,
shoulders and heads.
They’ll also wrestle to grasp each other’s necks with their forepaws.
To deliver more impacting blows, they’ll balance themselves on their tails and kick
each other in the abdomen.
Kangaroos have strong, well-developed muscles which enable them to deliver punishing strikes.
They also have claws on their forepaws that can rip through human flesh.
As one wildlife expert put it if you’re standing up and they kick you it can “pretty
much rip you open”.
They are also a danger for vehicles and the risk of death for the occupants is much greater
if the point of impact is the windshield.
Number 4 Jim and Linda Smith Wildlife caretakers Jim and Linda Smith were
feeding the kangaroos on their front yard, at their property in Darling Downs, in southern
Queensland.
They’d cared for wild kangaroos for many years without incident.
A large grey kangaroo then approached them and the elderly couple thought it was one
they’d raised.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t.
The massive buck hit Jim in the head, then the stomach and the legs.
Linda, upon seeing her husband on the ground, grabbed a broom to try and chase the kangaroo
away.
The animal knocked the broom out of the woman’s hands and turned its attention on her, kicking
her repeatedly.
It only retreated after the couple’s son delivered a few powerful strikes to its head
with a shovel.
The terrified family was taken to the hospital.
Jim and his son suffered bruises and cuts to the face but Linda’s injuries were more
severe.
The attack left her with a torn liver, a punctured lung and three broken ribs.
Number 3 Golfer Attacked in Sydney In 2018, a golfer in west Sydney was attacked
by a kangaroo right on the course he was playing on.
While it’s not exactly clear what caused the animal to attack, the 52-year-old man
was left with serious cuts to his legs, arms and face.
Paramedics were called to the Riverside Oaks Golf Resort around noon and rushed the injured
golfer to Sydney’s Westmead hospital.
His condition was stabilized but the incident prompted further warnings for golfers to keep
their distance from wild kangaroos.
Quiz Answer So, what was once a popular sideshow attraction
involving kangaroos?
If you guessed d, kangaroo boxing, then you were right.
In the late 19th century, travelling sideshows featured men fighting against kangaroos wearing
boxing gloves.
The boxing kangaroo ultimately became a symbol of Australian popular culture, particularly
when it comes to sporting events.
How to Survive?
It’s a rare occurrence but kangaroo attacks can be fatal.
That’s why it’s important never to feed them and to keep your distance.
Common warning signs of aggression include growling, scratching their stomachs or standing
on their toes.
Never stand tall and face the kangaroo as it will most likely take it as a challenge
to fight.
Crouch down and back away or try to get something between yourself and the animal.
They’re not predators so they most likely won’t give chase if you just back away.
Number 2 Debbie Urquhart In January, 2017, Debbie Urquhart was jogging
close to her home in Templestowe, in the north-east of Melbourne.
At some point during her jog a large kangaroo, which was reportedly close to 6ft 6ins tall,
attacked her.
The animal started viciously kicking her and throwing her around “like a ragdoll”.
The woman had no other choice but to play dead, hoping that the kangaroo would stop.
She told a media outlet “I thought he was going to come back and kill me”.
Covered in bloodied scratch marks, Urquhart was eventually able to run back to her home.
She was taken to the emergency room and received over 35 stitches in her shoulder, arm and
buttocks.
The 57-year-old personal trainer was reportedly left traumatized by the attack.
Number 1 Joshua Hayden 19-year-old Joshua Hayden was out hunting
with his brother when he became the victim of a brutal kangaroo attack.
Hayden was leaning out of the moving car to line up his shot with two kangaroos he had
in his crosshairs.
That’s when one of the beasts charged the side of the car and smashed its front window.
It then turned its attention on Hayden, started hopping towards him, and headbutted him directly
in the jaw.
The teenager reportedly lost consciousness for about 30 seconds and, when he came to,
thought that his brother had hit him.
He had to wait more than a week for the swelling to go down before doctors could operate on
his broken jaw.
Thanks for watching!
Would you rather…be attacked by a large kangaroo or only get around by hopping for
a month?
Let us know in the comments section below!