A pet kangaroo who attacked its owner prevented doctors from attending to him, and he died.
The incident occurred in Australia on Monday at the deceased’s home in Redmond, about 400km (250 miles) south of Perth.
Police say the 77-year-old man had been keeping the wild animal as a pet, and it is unclear what provoked it to fatally attack him.
According to the BBC, a relative found the elderly man lying on the floor with serious injuries before paramedics were called.
The kangaroo was so wild even after attacking its owner that police officers were compelled to shoot it to death before they and paramedics could approach the victim.
READ ALSO: Identical twins who ‘share same wife’ impregnate her, not sure who's responsible (video)
Kangaroo behaviour expert and Associate Professor, Graeme Coulson reportedly told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that the animals have “a lot of weapons” such as sharp teeth, claws and powerful legs with which they attack when triggered.
“Certainly, if they’re cornered or in some sort of distress, that can be quite dangerous.
“The problem with kangaroos and people is we’re both upright animals, we stand on our two feet, and an upright stance like that is a challenge to the male kangaroo,” Coulson said, as quoted by the BBC.
Australia is home to about 50 million kangaroos, which can weigh up to 90kg and grow to 2m tall.
But fatal attacks are rare – this is the first one reported in Australia since 1936, the news outlet said.
Read Full Story
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram
Google+
YouTube
LinkedIn
RSS