In southwest Australia, a man who may have been keeping a wild kangaroo as a pet was murdered by it, according to authorities on Tuesday. According to reports, it was the first kangaroo attack to result in death in Australia since 1936.
Kangaroo Attack
The kangaroo is a member of the Macropodidae family of marsupials (macropods, meaning “large foot”). The word is frequently used to refer to the red kangaroo, the largest species in this family, as well as the antilopine kangaroo, eastern grey kangaroo, and western grey kangaroo. Australia and New Guinea are the natural habitats of kangaroos. According to the Australian government, 42.8 million kangaroos in the country’s territories were used for commercial collection in 2019, down from 53.2 million in 2013.
Kangaroo meat is healthier to consume than traditional meats since kangaroos have less fat than other animals. Wild kangaroos are shot for their meat and leather and to protect grazing land.
For its meat, hide, bone, and tendon, the kangaroo, has always been a significant animal for Aboriginal Australians. In particular, there are reports of some tribes (Kurnai) using a stuffed kangaroo scrotum as a ball for the traditional football game of Barnbrook. Kangaroo hides were also occasionally used for recreation. There were also significant rites and Dreaming tales featuring the kangaroo. The Northern Territory’s Aherrenge is a current kangaroo dreaming location.
By nature, kangaroos are reserved and shy and pose little threat to people under normal conditions. A farmer was hurt by a fallen tree branch in 2003, but Lulu, a hand-reared eastern grey, alerted family members to his position and saved his life. On May 19, 2004, she was given the RSPCA Australia National Animal Valor Award.
There are very few documented instances of kangaroos attacking people without cause. Still, many such incidents in 2004 led to worries that the marsupials might be susceptible to a disease similar to rabies. In Australia, there have only been two instances of a kangaroo assault that resulted in death.
When Cruickshank tried to save his two dogs from a considerable kangaroo, he sustained severe head injuries, including a fractured jaw, according to The Sydney Morning Herald’s report.
A tame kangaroo attacked a 77-year-old man in Redmond, Western Australia, in September 2022. Other causes for erratic and dangerous kangaroo behavior include extreme thirst and hunger. In her backyard in July 2011, a 94-year-old woman, her son, and two responding police officers were all attacked by a male red kangaroo. After the attack, the kangaroo was pepper-sprayed with capsicum and later put down.
According to a study, kangaroos can speak with people who are not domesticated.
The males can be aggressive and engage in conflict with others using the same strategies they do with one another.
They wrestle with their opponent using their small upper limbs, support themselves with their powerful tails by leaning on them, and then strike with both of their clawed solid rear legs.
Even though kangaroos are native to Australia, it’s not unusual for people to desire to keep one as a pet in countries. Yet, is it lawful? The truthful response is actually both yes and no; keeping a kangaroo as a pet is permitted in some regions but not in others. Most locations where keeping kangaroos is permitted are subject to limitations or special licenses.
In Australia, killing, purchasing, selling, or owning a kangaroo is typically illegal. Nevertheless, the Australian government allows license holders to “cull” or shoot kangaroos in response to the increasing kangaroo population. The world’s largest massacre of land-based wildlife has occurred due to this.
In southwest Australia, western grey kangaroos are widespread. They can grow to 1.3 meters tall and weigh up to 54 kg.
Police Findings
The kangaroo was shot dead by police because it was obstructing paramedics from reaching the injured guy, according to police. It was thought that the kangaroo had assaulted him earlier in the day.
The statement stated that the kangaroo “posed an ongoing threat to emergency responders.”
On-site, the man, passed away. The police are putting together a report for the coroner, who will give a formal cause of death.
According to the police, the victim had been keeping the wild kangaroo as a pet. The keeping of native Australian animals as pets is prohibited by law.
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