Another Kangaroo has been spotted trying to ‘drown dogs’ in the latest attack by the marsupials of mayhem, but experts have argued that this is unusual behaviour for the creatures, who have a natural ‘flight response’.
The disturbing footage, captured in Australia, showed a kangaroo standing in a creek as four dogs barked at it from the shore, before one of the pack lunged at the kangaroo, only to be knocked away in a tussle.Â
But this wasn’t the first time the usually docile animals have been caught throwing punches with the public, last year there was a string of viral videos, showing the beefed up animals caught in entanglements with locals and their pets.
Rachel Leather, an animal behaviour expert, told MailOnline: ‘We must remember kangaroos are herbivores so they’re not going to be aggressive in the same way that a predator would be.Â
‘They are much more likely to flee rather than be aggressive, generally they will always choose flight given the option.’
The disturbing footage, captured in Australia, showed a kangaroo standing in a creek as four dogs barked at it from the shore, before one of the pack dashed forward and lunged at the kangaroo, only to be knocked awayÂ
But experts have argued that this is unusual behaviour for the creatures, who have a natural ‘flight response’
She added that changes in behaviour, such as the rise in attacks, can likely be linked to resource or habitat pressures in the area.
‘Any change in behaviour like that [attacking other animals] is almost always to do with the pressures of the resources in the local area.
‘For example, with predators, if there’s a big increase in the population, or there’s a big decrease in the resources available. Then that puts pressure on the individual animals to turn elsewhere, either for prey or habitat.
‘Similarly, if it’s around the mating season, male kangaroos will have threat displays and dominance displays during the mating season, and so any anybody encroaches on him is much more likely to be seen as a threat.’Â
Last October another man and his dog crossed paths with a Kangaroo in the outback, when he filmed it in a viral video holding his pet just above the water.Â
Rushing in to save the visually distressed animal, the man is heard cursing at the kangaroo, saying: ‘I’m going to punch you f*****g head in. Let my dog go’.
Then, the kangaroo lunges at the man before the video cuts out – a struggle is heard before the video reappears showing the kangaroo stood facing the man and the dog now free.
Professor Benjamin Kear, a researcher in Australasian palaeontology, said that the real problem here is ‘urban environments encroach on natural environments’, as settlements expand you are going to see more and more incidents of wild animals coming into clash with humans.
To prevent these attacks though, he said the simple solution is for owners to ensure they can control their pet.
‘Australia is has a long term issue with introduced animals, and this goes back thousands of years.
‘The kangaroos have adapted to dingoes, the not so native dog in Australia for thousands of years, introduced by people and so they view the dog as a predator.
‘And the dog views any kind of large animal coming into its territory is something to to get aggressive with. That’s just a dogs behavior.’
Adding Kangaroos are ‘skittish’ and no threat to people, so he recommended that you just ‘back away slowly’ if ever caught in a stare down with one.Â
In the video, captioned ‘martial arts are for everyone, even kangaroos’, the dog is seen being held just above the water by the kangaroo
In a shocking incident with a human, a raging ‘roo’ put a farmer in a headlock in 2023 after dragging him off his motorbike in county Victoria.
Brian O’Donnell, 74, was riding his Honda across his farmland to check on a cow that was due to give birth when he noticed the massive marsupial stalking him.
Instead of hopping away – as most kangaroos would – the creature ‘started growling and jumping up and down’, he told the ABC.
The farmer said the kangaroo put him in a headlock and tore at his clothing, leaving with him gashes on his neck and back.
Another shocking video from June last year showed the moment an American tourist was forced to grab a kangaroo by the throat after it kicked and scratched him at Perth zoo.
The clip started with a woman trying to get away from the animal before the tourist came between them.
In response the marsupial reared up, jumping at and clawing at the man as he tried to keep it at bay.
The dad, wearing a black t-shirt, cap, blue jeans and brown boots, lifted up his leg to defend himself but the animal continues to come at him before a younger man came in to help.
Instead of hopping away – as most kangaroos would – the creature ‘started growling and jumping up and down’, Brian O’Donnell told the ABC
Another shocking video from June this year showed the moment an American tourist was forced to grab a kangaroo by the throat after it kicked and scratched him at Perth zoo
The dad, wearing a black t-shirt, cap, blue jeans and brown boots, lifted up his leg to defend himself but the animal continues to come at him before a younger man came in to help
Both men tried to walk away from the animal but the kangaroo continued to follow, kicking and jumping at them.
Finally the ‘roo’ was placated after a staff member at the zoo intervened, telling the two men to walk away and calling the animal a ‘naughty boy’.
It also seems that kangaroos picking on dogs is a common theme – in 2016, another dog owner was forced to punch a ‘roo’ in the face after it grabbed his pooch in a headlock.
The moment the man stood toe-to-toe and traded punches with the marsupial to save his dog ‘Max’ was captured on camera by a friend, who videoed the fight from the safety of his vehicle.
With the dog in a headlock, the man’s approach initially fails to deter the kangaroo, who kicks out with its leg.
Eventually the marsupial releases the dog, turning its attention instead to the man.
Standing upright, it momentarily before being struck by a forceful punch that sends it stumbling backwards.
Again, in May 2022, another angry kangaroo chased down a terrified man before tackling him to the ground as the two slugged it out in a drawn-out brawl.
Footage uploaded to a Ballina, New South Wales, Instagram page showed the man sprinting away from the irate eastern grey before stumbling and hitting the ground.
The ruthless marsupial then stomps on the man, who gets back on his feet desperately clutching a stick and swinging it wildly in self-defence.
At the end of the ‘man vs animal battle,’ both fighters looked worse for wear.
The last kangaroo attack that proved fatal was back in 2022 – police believe it was a wild animal which aged less than 12-months-old which was being kept as a pet.
Until then, a deadly attack had not occurred in Australia since 1936 when hunter William Cruickshank, 38 tried to rescue his two dogs from a fight with a kangaroo in Hillston in western NSW.
