The victim, in his 50s, came across two kangaroos outside his home in Central Queensland, Australia. One of the animals fled but the other, 2m tall and weighing 100kg, attacked him
An Australian man is “very lucky” to be alive after being attacked by a “massive” kangaroo outside his home, authorities have said.
On Wednesday, the victim, in his 50s, was walking to his car near Emerald in Central Queensland when he came across two kangaroos. While one of the animals fled after spotting the man, the other – estimated to be two metres tall and weighing around 100kg – became aggressive and attacked him.
In the attack, the man suffered serious hip, arm and chest lacerations, authorities said. Willows Rural fire brigade’s Rick Underhill said the victim would have bled to death had his next-door neighbour not been home to assist him in the aftermath of the attack.
Mr Underhill said: “It made a hell of a mess of this poor man … it’s damaged him really badly.” The victim was driven to Emerald Hospital before being airlifted to Rockhampton Hospital soon after, where he was in a stable condition.
Detailing how the attack unfolded, Mr Underhill said the man had just walked out of the front door of his home when he found the kangaroos. “He came out of his house, walked around to get into his ute to drive up to the shop and there was a buck [male kangaroo] and doe [female kangaroo] there and the doe took off and the buck bloody attacked him and really attacked him in a big way,” he said.
After the attack, ABC News reported that there are now public warnings in place for two large male kangaroos in Willows that may pose a danger. “Normally, the kangaroos in town here are quite pleasant and people feed them and think they’re wonderful,” Mr Underhill said.
“These roos have been around here for years and we’ve never had a problem before, but unfortunately, these two big bucks have taken it in their heads to attack people.” He warned: “Stay at home and don’t go out.
“A lot of elderly people live in this little community, and they like to go and walk their dogs in the morning. And that’s just asking for trouble.” Mr Underhill also expressed concern for tourists in the area and urged them to stop feeding kangaroos in a bid to prevent future attacks.
In Australia, human-wildlife interaction incidents are handled by the Queensland government’s Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation. Incidents can be reported by calling +61 1300 130 372.
