Kangaroo is the national animal of Australia. But these marsupials are not always cute and cuddly. Sometimes they can kick, bite, and even kill a person, which is exactly what happened in the Land Down Under on September 12, 2022.
According to reports, for the first time since 1936, a kangaroo has fatally injured a person in Australia. A 77-year-old man, who thought it was a good idea to keep a large marsupial as a pet, was attacked and later died of his severe injuries, as reported by Australian broadcaster ABC.
Emergency services in Redmond, 400km south of Perth, tried to help the victim. However, the kangaroo was hyper-aggressive and did not let the rescuers approach the dying person. Unfortunately for the kangaroo, his kicks were no match for a gun. The rescuers put the animal down, but despite all attempts, the man died. It is unclear what provoked the kangaroo’s attack, but my money is on the human doing something really stupid, as it usually happens.
About 50 million kangaroos live in Australia, some of them reaching 2m in height and 90kg in weight. There are four species of these hulking marsupials: the giant red kangaroo, the eastern gray giant kangaroo, the western gray giant kangaroo, and the antelope kangaroo.
The last known fatal attack is believed to have occurred in New South Wales more than 85 years ago. Kangaroo behavior expert Graham Coulson said that while kangaroo attacks were not uncommon, they were “very rarely fatal.” These and many other animals attack mostly when they feel cornered. Kangaroos have several means of self-defense, including sharp teeth, claws, and powerful legs. The problem in the relationship between kangaroos and humans is that they are both bipedal creatures, and this posture is a challenge for the male kangaroo.
Earlier this year, there were several other kangaroo attacks in Australia, but all of their victims survived. In April, a kangaroo attacked a woman while she was playing golf in Queensland, seriously injuring her. In March, a teenage girl was riding a moped when a kangaroo suddenly jumped out of the forest and knocked her down. A 14-year-old girl spent ten days in the hospital with injuries. Also, in March, a three-year-old girl on the east coast was attacked by a kangaroo in her home.
If this tendency keeps going, who knows what’ll happen in 2023?