Click photo to enlarge
A female kangaroo is seen in suburban Sydney in this file
photo. (AP Photo/Rob Griffith, File)
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 Australian, Chris Rickard, was in stable condition today
after the attack, which ended when the 49-year-old elbowed
the kangaroo in the throat.
Rickard said he was walking his blue heeler, Rocky, on Sunday
morning when they surprised a sleeping kangaroo in Arthur's
Creek northeast of Melbourne. The dog chased the animal into
a pond, when the kangaroo turned and pinned the pet
underwater.
When Rickard tried to pull his dog free, the kangaroo turned
on him, attacking with its hind legs and tearing a deep gash
into his abdomen and across his face.
"I thought I might take a hit or two dragging the dog out
from under his grip, but I didn't expect him to actually
attack me," Rickard, 49, told The Herald Sun
newspaper.
"It was a shock at the start because it was a kangaroo, about
5 feet high, they don't go around killing people."
Kangaroos rarely attack people but will fight if they feel
threatened.
Dogs often chase kangaroos, which have been known to lead the
pets into water and defend themselves there.
Rickard said he ended the attack by elbowing the kangaroo in
the throat, adding Rocky was "half-drowned" when he pulled
him from the water.
