Kangaroo attacks in Australia

Some kangaroo attacks have been caused by hunger during a drought, as described happened near Walcha in Thrilling encounter with a kangaroo, The Argus, 28 August 1880

Kangaroo attacks in Australia are rare because kangaroos are usually docile however can attack if provoked or cornered, and have been known to kill dogs. Very occasionally they can attack even if not provoked.

Figures

PhD student Guy Ballard, with the University of New England discovered more stories of kangaroo attacks than he expected in his research into them., which included two incidents in 1999 and 2002, and 15 to 20 reports in the area between Coffs Harbour and Sydney. The only reliably documented case of a fatality from a kangaroo attack occurred in New South Wales, in 1936. A hunter was killed when he tried to rescue his two dogs from a heated fray. There have been deaths in motor vehicle accidents caused by kangaroos, with 13 deaths from 2,100 crashes involving kangaroos between 1996 and 2006, and more than 6,000 collisions involving kangaroos in 2008 just in New South Wales.

Cause

If there is a shortage of food, kangaroos can enter suburbs and have caused attacks (which may be unintentional or in self-defence), as have occurred in Melbourne and Canberra. There are very few records of kangaroos attacking humans without provocation; however, several such unprovoked attacks in 2004 spurred fears of a rabies-like disease possibly affecting the marsupials. Other suggested causes for erratic and dangerous kangaroo behaviour include extreme thirst and hunger.

Prevention

The Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management mentions kangaroos can be aggressive towards people, and advises that if approached by an aggressive kangaroo, people should keep it at a distance so that it cannot kick or scratch. The Animal Planet video on avoiding kangaroo attacks says the main defence is to keep moving out of the animal's kicking range.

Laws

The New South Wales Court of Appeal ruled in Shorten v Grafton District Golf Club (2000) that a golf course had a duty of care to warn patrons of the danger of kangaroo attack, after a 13 year old boy was injured by one in 1996.

Coverage

Several of the attacks have been widely reported in international media. In particular the 1988 attack in the Grampians which was filmed was shown on World's Most Shocking Moments and reported elsewhere internationally. The 1996 attack on the golf course in Grafton was shown on the Animal Planet series After the Attack Episode 3 and reported by National Geographic and others. The recent attacks in Sunbury were widely reported in Australia as well as international media The kangaroo which smashed through the window of the house in Garran in 2009 was also reported internationally.

Types

• 
  The Red Kangaroo is the largest kangaroo and found in central and western Australia.
• 
  The Eastern Grey Kangaroo is found in southern and eastern Australia.
• The Western Grey Kangaroo is found in western and southern Australia.
  The Western Grey Kangaroo is found in western and southern Australia.

List of attacks

Below is a list of kangaroo attacks that occurred in Australia in reverse chronological order.

21st century

Name, age	Date	Species	Location; Comments
64yo man,	2009	Eastern Grey	Sunbury,
67yo woman	2009	Eastern Grey	Melbourne,
family	March 2009	Eastern Grey	Garran, kangaroo smashed through window of suburban house, was wrestled by the owner and dragged out, who received scratches
man in 50s	2008	Eastern Grey	Sunbury, Melbourne, man attacked by a kangaroo while jogging at 1.30pm
65yo woman	July 2008	Eastern Grey	Mudgee, was walking through a wooded area of the property on her way to tend to her horses when a two metre kangaroo attacked.
85yo man	Apr 2008		Musk, Victoria,
young male	2006	Eastern Grey	North Coast,
Christine Canham	July 2004	Eastern Grey	Canberra, kangaroo held dog underwater and drowned it.
48yo woman	March 2004		Burpengary, kangaroo pushed a woman to the ground, kicked, bit and scratched her
couple	July 2003		Monto, kangaroo knocked them to ground at a caravan park, caused scratches. Man killed kangaroo with axe.

20th century

Name, age	Date	Species	Location; Comments
13yo male	October 1996	Eastern Grey	Grafton, kangaroo attacked him while looking for a ball at which went into the bush at a golf course, received facial wounds and cuts, golf course was sued in the Supreme Court of New South Wales in Shorten v Grafton District Golf Club
36yo man	1988	Eastern Grey	Grampians National Park, at a camping area, required 30 stitches Also shown on World's Most Shocking Moments voiced by John Bunnell.
12yo girl, 40yo man	Easter 1985		Ningaloo, girl attacked at Easter barbecue, father bitten while trying to free her
86yo man	1972		Granite Island near Victor Harbour, received bruises and lacerations, kangaroo was shot
Chester	1970s		Albany,
3 men	Dec 1943		Lachlan River near Cowra, men returning from fishing were attacked by a kangaroo, two men were knocked down
14yo boy	Feb 1940		Sandy Hollow, boy's dog had fought the kangaroo, which the kangaroo hurled off a cliff, and then attacked the boy, inflicting serious injuries
'old' Japanese shopkeeper	1936		Darwin, kangaroo caused several cuts and abrasions before the man beat it off
hunter	1936		New South Wales, only known fatality
farmer	1933		Western Australia, a farmer had been attacked by a kangaroo, which was described as unusual
driver	May 1933		Darwin, kangaroo jumped onto open vehicle smashing a window, driver scratched by its claws
37yo male	Nov 1931		Corpus Christi College, Werribee kangaroo rushed at waiter who entered reserve where kangaroos were kept, needed several stitches. Same kangaroo described as having made an attack on another employee in January.
L. Johnson	1929		Carrajung South, dog 'bailed up the kangaroo', when the man tried to rescue his dog, the kangaroo attacked him, inflicting a deep wound on his neck. The kangaroo then tried to drown the dog but the man beat the roo off and saved the dog.
man, wife & gardener	1924		Wanganella, Was a pet kangaroo, but turned loose because of the attacks.
4yo	1923		Balgowan, Yorke's Peninsula, attacked by a pet kangaroo, which caused cuts and bruises
young man	1904		Reedy Creek, when he intervened to save his dog, he was clasped by the kangaroo and pushed in the creek three times, received bruises and scratches
Mr. Harry Grattan	1900		Puckapunyal,

Kangaroo attacks described in newspapers 1923-1944

19th century

Name, age	Date	Species	Location; Comments
labourer named Armstrong	Aug 1880		Waterloo station, 10 miles from Walcha, Man tried to drive a kangaroo away from eating straw in an area with scarce feed, the kangaroo resisted and attacked and held the man, an 11yo boy intervened and killed the kangaroo with an axe.
Mr. John Burke	1875		Mullengandra, He chased three kangaroos, when one was cornered, it attacked him, giving him a mauling, he only escaped because of his dog's assistance.
young man	1873		Mitchell's Creek,
unnamed Aboriginal man	1873	Red	Yanga, Balranald, A kangaroo refused to leave, an Aboriginal man encouraged to fight it, the kangaroo grabbed the man, who managed to escape.
16yo male	1872		Browns, kangaroo attacked boy, dog and man intervened and fought off kangaroo, reputedly in an hour long fight, leading to death of the kangaroo.
Thomas Barlow	1867		Woranga, a kangaroo hunter's dog attacked the kangaroo, fight followed between the man and kangaroo.

External links

• Kangaroo Attacks in Australia Spotlight Growing Turf War, National Geographic
• video, Kangaroo attacks on the rise Sydney Morning Herald 28/08/09
• Kangaroo attacks, Amazing Australia
• Surviving a kangaroo attack, Animal Planet