Male kangaroos often battle each other in the wild over access to breeding females, sometimes to the point of death. But in this case, maybe the dog surprised the roo and got too close. Another technique kangaroos sometimes use is to try to claw their opponents' eyes out, which also could have left Tonkins seriously injured. Tonkins's employment is not in jeopardy, the statement says. And in turn, the kangaroo defended itself instead of running away, and did so by getting the dog in a headlock. "The guy was obviously hyped up and had to make a split decision," he says. If you have a pet dog, get rid of the dog right now. 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. 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. 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. 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. Maybe the kangaroo was just having a hold of the dog and didnât know what to do next, because normally it would use his legs to kick in a fight. Instead, they prefer to balance on their strong tails and kick with their powerful back legs. Tonkins will have to undergo further training to prevent an incident like this reoccurring. 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. Thatâs not what another kangaroo would do and a human does not give the right signals. "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.". Video shot in June but going viral this week shows a dramatic encounter between a large male kangaroo and a man in Australia. 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. 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. 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. But while many of us have tried to explain Tonkinsâ actions, now, weâve heard from wildlife experts who can reveal the reasoning behind the kangarooâs behaviour. "If the kangaroo had done that to the guy it could have disemboweled him," says Festa-Bianchet. 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. The man was very lucky he didnât get kicked. 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. The kangarooâs 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 kangarooâs upper body. In a further unusual turn of events, the kangaroo chose to flee the scene rather than respond with an attack on Tonkins. Startled, the kangaroo let go of the dog. "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. 2020 National Geographic Partners, LLC. 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. "Still, I would advise against doing that," he adds. Gloria Lewis and her family woke on Saturday morning to the sound of … Male kangaroos have very big forearms and are very strong. "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. An animal like that could be 9 to 15 years old and is in the prime of its life. 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!. Detailing the behavioural habits of kangaroos, Dr Eldridge said, âMale kangaroos will try scratch and wrestle before sometimes putting an opponent in a headlock. Dr Mark Eldrige, a kangaroo expert from the Australian Museum, said: This was a really interesting scenario. 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. The zoo says they are investigating the incident. "The kangaroo could’ve potentially choked the dog, but it was wearing armour so that may have protected it from the full force." All rights reserved. "Kangaroos often defend themselves by wrestling the dogs to the ground, which is what you can see happening in the video," he says. While they’re beautiful, kangaroos should be left alone, as Margaret and her dog found out. Hunting of the invasive boarsâwhich have caused ecological damage in Australiaâis popular there. "You can tell the kangaroo is like, 'Whoa what was that?' 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. A video has emerged, from what appears to be a hunting trip in the Australian Outback, showing a kangaroo strangling a dog. 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. While kangaroos don’t usually kill people, that doesn’t mean they don’t attack them. Contrary to popular belief, kangaroos don't normally try to box, or punch, each other, says Festa-Bianchet. When kangaroos fight they do tend to wrestle and kick, but they would normally view dogs and dingoes as predators and flee from them. Kangaroo leather is used in high-end fashion and some professional football boot brands such as ADIDAS, Nike and Puma. The kangaroo attacked her husband, kicking him onto his back. One of the most famous stories of a kangaroo killing someone is from New South Wales in 1936. That man has since died from his illness. 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. The incident captured on the video, which has gone viral, has outraged many animal rights activists. Eldridge added that Tonkins was also incredibly lucky to escape the incident unscathed. It stands roughly 6 feet tall and may weigh as much as 170 pounds. Kangaroos are native to the Australian landscape and uniquely adapted to survive its extreme climate hit by frequent droughts. © 1996-2015 National Geographic Society, © 2015- Itâs a tactic when bucks fight.â. 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. Kangaroo meat comes from kangaroos that are perfect farmed, no longer kangaroos killed interior the wild. @media (max-width:767px){.css-4n1las{display:none;}}Most Read Stories@media (min-width:768px){.css-1s8mc50{display:none;}}Most Read. The kangaroo didnât seem to be biting the dog, I think he was pretty confused. Before kangaroos fight, they usually size each other up. could desire to assert i've got in no way tried it yet. A man was beaten to death by a kangaroo after trying to intervene between a fight the animal was having with his two dogs. Tonkins, an employee of Taronga Western Plains Zoo has since gone to ground. "He clearly felt threatened by the animal and wanted to save his dog.". Contamination. Kangaroo drowns family dog in Queensland dam. • As you probably know, kangaroos are dependent on two main food groups: crushed dogs, and human misery. You may have heard the story of Greig Tonkins; the man who punched a kangaroo in the face to save his dog from the animalâs stranglehold. You may have seen grainy footage of 19 th - and early 20 th -century boxing matches between humans and kangaroos. 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 his six years on the job, Tonkins "has always followed Tarongaâs best practice approach to animal care and welfare," the zoo notes. Which is just a bit much. 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. This story was updated at 10:45 am ET on December 6 with a statement from the zoo. Real shame I did not have a gun with me at the time, because there would be 2 dead dogs! although generic with vacationers, no longer many Australians have taken to eating kangaroo meat yet. Even on dingo roo-hunts the kill is pretty quick and efficient. There are strict controls on the project of the animals, and the project of the beef earlier it is offered. News. Sister Chloe Bulmer, 9, and Danielle, 6, are mourning the loss of family dog Banjo, left, who was killed by a kangaroo. In 2016, 1.34 million kangaroos were killed for the commercial industry. Following the sounds down to his dam, he found two dogs attacking what he thought was a dead kangaroo. 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. : //www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2016/12/man-punches-kangaroo-saves-dog-australia.html family woke on Saturday morning to the guy was obviously hyped up and had make... 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