If you have a pet dog, get rid of the dog right now. When kangaroos fight they do tend to wrestle and kick, but they would normally view dogs and dingoes as predators and flee from them. In his six years on the job, Tonkins "has always followed Taronga’s best practice approach to animal care and welfare," the zoo notes. Maybe the kangaroo was just having a hold of the dog and didn’t know what to do next, because normally it would use his legs to kick in a fight. Man fights kangaroo in Australia to save his pet dog The personal trainer played dead in an effort to bring an end to the attack, and managed to escape soon after the kangaroo ran away. Tonkins, an employee of Taronga Western Plains Zoo has since gone to ground. Kangaroos are native to the Australian landscape and uniquely adapted to survive its extreme climate hit by frequent droughts. Sister Chloe Bulmer, 9, and Danielle, 6, are mourning the loss of family dog Banjo, left, who was killed by a kangaroo. It stands roughly 6 feet tall and may weigh as much as 170 pounds. Tonkins will have to undergo further training to prevent an incident like this reoccurring. 2 Some skins and meat products are used domestically (a proportion of kangaroo meat goes into the Australian pet food market), and the rest is exported to other countries (two thirds to Europe) as leather or meat for human consumption. "If the kangaroo had done that to the guy it could have disemboweled him," says Festa-Bianchet. In a self defence move typical for kangaroos the kangaroo grabbed the dog with its front paws and held it under water to drown it. The man, who was reportedly out pig hunting with his dog and several friends in rural New South Wales, saw that his hunting dog was being forced into a headlock by a large kangaroo. In 2016, 1.34 million kangaroos were killed for the commercial industry. But Festa-Bianchet cautions against too much armchair analysis. But kangaroo is also an ingredient in other products that don't carry it in the product name, such as Bonnie Puppy and Bonnie Working Dog. In a further unusual turn of events, the kangaroo chose to flee the scene rather than respond with an attack on Tonkins. Man rushes into water to save his dog from an alligator ... was rescued by Barnes as a joey after his mother was killed on a highway. You may have heard the story of Greig Tonkins; the man who punched a kangaroo in the face to save his dog from the animal’s stranglehold. That man has since died from his illness. Kangaroos are often butchered in the field and transported on unrefrigerated open trucks. Kangaroo ATTACK: Dog owner shredded by killer beast as it attacks beloved pet A DOG lover was shredded by claws of a killer kangaroo as he tried to protect his beloved family pet. Gloria Lewis and her family woke on Saturday morning to the sound of her Husky crying in the backyard of her Keilor residence. All rights reserved. A woman was almost killed by a kangaroo after her unleashed dog tormented and chased it through a park. Dr Mark Eldrige, a kangaroo expert from the Australian Museum, said: This was a really interesting scenario. Even on dingo roo-hunts the kill is pretty quick and efficient. A man has been injured and a beloved family dog killed after a kangaroo jumped over a fence into the backyard of a Melbourne home. Which is just a bit much. MELBOURNE, Australia — A kangaroo startled by a man walking his dog attacked the pair, pinning the pet underwater and slashing the owner in the abdomen with its hind legs. The man, reported to be Greig Tonkins, 34, rushed up to help his dog. although generic with vacationers, no longer many Australians have taken to eating kangaroo meat yet. Eldridge added that Tonkins was also incredibly lucky to escape the incident unscathed. 2020 National Geographic Partners, LLC. Man Who Punched Kangaroo to Save His Dog Risked His Life, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2016/12/man-punches-kangaroo-saves-dog-australia.html. Contrary to popular belief, kangaroos don't normally try to box, or punch, each other, says Festa-Bianchet. Male kangaroos have very big forearms and are very strong. The zoo says they are investigating the incident. A 19-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with the deaths of about 20 kangaroos that were hit and killed by a vehicle in Australia over the weekend, authorities said. Contamination. I don’t want this kangaroo to be hunted down and killed, I love animals. One of the most famous stories of a kangaroo killing someone is from New South Wales in 1936. But while many of us have tried to explain Tonkins’ actions, now, we’ve heard from wildlife experts who can reveal the reasoning behind the kangaroo’s behaviour. The commercial slaughter of kangaroos is a cruel business. Another technique kangaroos sometimes use is to try to claw their opponents' eyes out, which also could have left Tonkins seriously injured. The incident captured on the video, which has gone viral, has outraged many animal rights activists. Kangaroo drowns family dog in Queensland dam. Real shame I did not have a gun with me at the time, because there would be 2 dead dogs! In some cases, hunters use dogs to subdue the pigs and then finish them off with knives, never touching a gun. The quintessentially Australian tale went viral yesterday, and the world weighed in on Tonkins’ mission to save Max the dog, with many dubbing it animal abuse. Detailing the behavioural habits of kangaroos, Dr Eldridge said, ‘Male kangaroos will try scratch and wrestle before sometimes putting an opponent in a headlock. Expert ‘surprised’ by kangaroo putting dog in a choker hold, Actor Elliot Page Announces He Is Transgender, Mysterious Monolith Like One Found In Utah Appears On Romanian Hill, PlayStation Gamers Are Smarter Than Those Who Play Xbox, Study Shows, ‘Most Disgusting Movie Of All Time’ Getting Uncut Release After 10 Years. "You can tell the kangaroo is like, 'Whoa what was that?' @media (max-width:767px){.css-4n1las{display:none;}}Most Read Stories@media (min-width:768px){.css-1s8mc50{display:none;}}Most Read. © 1996-2015 National Geographic Society, © 2015- There are strict controls on the project of the animals, and the project of the beef earlier it is offered. It kind of looks funny but it really was a dangerous situation.". Friends of Tonkins have spoken out in support of his actions, saying he did what the situation called for in protecting himself, his dog, and his friends. A video has emerged, from what appears to be a hunting trip in the Australian Outback, showing a kangaroo strangling a dog. And in turn, the kangaroo defended itself instead of running away, and did so by getting the dog in a headlock. Kangaroo meat comes from kangaroos that are perfect farmed, no longer kangaroos killed interior the wild. The kangaroo’s strength wold usually be enough to seriously injure the dog but, thankfully, Max was wearing armour that may have protected his neck from the full force of the kangaroo’s upper body. Tonkins actually works in the wildlife industry and serves as a zookeeper on the staff of the Taronga Western Plains Zoo, the zoo confirms in a statement. Kangaroo leather is used in high-end fashion and some professional football boot brands such as ADIDAS, Nike and Puma. "The guy's very lucky because he could have been killed," says Marco Festa-Bianchet, a National Geographic explorer who studies kangaroos and who is a biologist at Université de Sherbrooke in Quebec. "The guy was obviously hyped up and had to make a split decision," he says. • As you probably know, kangaroos are dependent on two main food groups: crushed dogs, and human misery. Exactly what precipitated the fight between the dog and marsupial is unclear, although Festa-Bianchet says kangaroos are used to contending with dingoes, which often prey on them. A man was beaten to death by a kangaroo after trying to intervene between a fight the animal was having with his two dogs. National Geographic has been unable to reach Tonkins for comment. Kangaroos killed in ‘cowardly’ arrow attack in Swan Hill Kangaroos have been shot at with hunting arrows and left to die in two separate incidents in a suburb in north east Perth. By now Chris had caught up with them and leapt into the water too to save his dog from the five foot roo, but the roo was not giving up the dog just like that and ripped in to Chris too. It’s a tactic when bucks fight.’. Internet commenters have expressed outrage over the punch, with some asking why Tonkins didn't simply retreat as soon as the kangaroo let go of his dog. While they’re beautiful, kangaroos should be left alone, as Margaret and her dog found out. You may have seen grainy footage of 19 th - and early 20 th -century boxing matches between humans and kangaroos. Instead, they prefer to balance on their strong tails and kick with their powerful back legs. "The kangaroo could’ve potentially choked the dog, but it was wearing armour so that may have protected it from the full force." That’s not what another kangaroo would do and a human does not give the right signals. Male kangaroos often battle each other in the wild over access to breeding females, sometimes to the point of death. The kangaroo is clearly a large male, Festa-Bianchet says. The man, who was reportedly out pig hunting with his dog and several friends in rural New South Wales, saw that his hunting dog was being forced into a headlock by a large kangaroo. Each year around 4 million kangaroos are killed in Australia's outback by the commercial industry. A two-year investigation conducted by the Wildlife Protection Association of Australia and Animal Liberation NSW found that many of the carcasses stored by the kangaroo-meat industry were contaminated by dangerous bacteria, including E. coli, streptococcus, and staphylococcus. This story was updated at 10:45 am ET on December 6 with a statement from the zoo. I think the kangaroo was still in the sizing up stage when he was hit with the punch, and so the man was lucky the roo decided to call it quits instead of using his leg which cause a lot of damage. Unfortunately ‘licenses to harm kangaroos’ are available to supply the commercial kangaroo meat trade and ‘k-leather’ industry. Hunting of the invasive boars—which have caused ecological damage in Australia—is popular there. But Tonkins—who told media that he wanted to scare off the kangaroo and give his dog a chance to retreat—punched the marsupial in the face. Following the sounds down to his dam, he found two dogs attacking what he thought was a dead kangaroo. A kangaroo’s foot claws are sharp enough to slice open a human abdomen. The kangaroo attacked her husband, kicking him onto his back. "Taronga strongly opposes the striking of animals and does not support the practice of using dogs to hunt, as this can result in negative welfare for both species," the zoo writes. Dog foods can be comprised of several different protein sources – beef, chicken and lamb are undoubtedly the most common ingredients used, but some dog foods contain more unusual meats, like alligator, salmon, turkey or, as strange as it may sound, kangaroo!. While kangaroos don’t usually kill people, that doesn’t mean they don’t attack them. The kangaroo didn’t seem to be biting the dog, I think he was pretty confused. News. Loyal dog follows sick owner to hospital. A dog determined to run down a big male kangaroo kills it fairly easily, we focus on their cool kicking legs but really their necks and heads are quite delicate (even on big males) and that's what a dog will ravage if it catches up to a kangaroo. Kangaroo attacks man and kills family dog in Melbourne, Australia A man has been injured and a beloved family dog killed after a kangaroo jumped over a fence into the backyard of a Melbourne home. Usually, however, a male will yield to the stronger challenger, often showing subservience by grooming or making a coughing sound. Before kangaroos fight, they usually size each other up. Francesca is a Cardiff University Journalism Masters grad who has done words for BBC, ELLE, The Debrief, DAZED, an art magazine you've never heard of and a feminist zine which never went to print. Gloria Lewis and her family woke on Saturday morning to the sound of … “The big buck kangaroo releases the dog when the owner gets close but then moves in to try and attack the human. The purpose of the trip was to help a sick friend hunt a boar, they say. "Still, I would advise against doing that," he adds. Amid calls for Tonkins to lose his job and face punishment for what some are calling animal abuse, Taronga Conservation Society said that while Tonkins will keep his job they do not condone his actions towards the animal. could desire to assert i've got in no way tried it yet. "Kangaroos often defend themselves by wrestling the dogs to the ground, which is what you can see happening in the video," he says. Tonkins's employment is not in jeopardy, the statement says. If one doesn’t back down, they will get into an aggressive encounter. Startled, the kangaroo let go of the dog. "He clearly felt threatened by the animal and wanted to save his dog.". The man was very lucky he didn’t get kicked. A former emo kid who talks too much about 8Chan meme culture, the Kardashian Klan, and how her smartphone is probably killing her. Video shot in June but going viral this week shows a dramatic encounter between a large male kangaroo and a man in Australia. After taking the hit, the animal retreated into the bush—without visible injury, Tonkins reported. You may have heard the story of Greig Tonkins; the man who punched a kangaroo in the face to save his dog from the animal’s stranglehold. An animal like that could be 9 to 15 years old and is in the prime of its life. "I’m sure the punch hurt," says Festa-Bianchet. "However, the highest standards of animal welfare and care are a core value of Taronga and one that we expect our staff to uphold in all their interactions with wildlife.". But in this case, maybe the dog surprised the roo and got too close.