Killer Kangaroos?
Submitted: Thursday, Jun 22, 2006 at 11:33
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Mike Harding
I recently spent 5 days in the bush in north central Victoria (beautiful weather) in an area with quite a few kangaroos. On one occasion a mob of 15 or 20 of them came through and around my
camp most of them just kept on going but two or three, including one large male? stopped about 30m away to have a good look at me. After 10 seconds or so I waved my arms around a bit hoping to scare him off but I think he thought I was just being silly and remained where he was. After another 10 seconds or so I started to walk towards the 4WD and he decided he’d had enough of me and hopped off. Enjoyable encounter from my perspective.
Question:
I’ve seen hundreds of roos in the bush over the years and never had any problems with them but I have, occasionally, heard of people being attacked by them. Is this myth or such a rare event than it’s not worth considering or should we be a bit cautious of the large roos in particular?
Mike Harding
mike_harding@fastmail.fm
Reply By: ImEasy - Thursday, Jun 22, 2006 at 12:04
Thursday, Jun 22, 2006 at 12:04
We always thought of them as Boxing Kangaroo's, but last time camping I witnessed a couple of Big Roo's and a a couple of Bunyip's going for it, looked like a Pub brawl, but from what I could see, one of the Roo's had one of the Bunyip's in a headlock, and belting the beejesus out of him, while the other Roo was doing some form of Ancient Kung Fu, possibly Wing Chun, the other Bunyip decided to run off.
So, please be careful out there, especially the Large Roo's, they have evolved, and if provoked, they could possibly Roundhouse kick you!
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Reply By: Member - Steve (ACT) - Thursday, Jun 22, 2006 at 12:20
Thursday, Jun 22, 2006 at 12:20
After the fires and still in drought we had three attacks in a 3 month period, and a warning to be careful when walking in the parkland around here.
There was one incident in an area where dogs are allowed off lead where some dogs chased a roo and it went into some water the dogs followed and the roo drowned one of them, apparently this is a defence roos will use with predator, maybe a warning to those who
camp with dogs to be aware of! (I'm aware this is a little different because it was defending itself)
There were also some attacks that were unprovoked
Sandy
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Follow Up By: Member - Steve (ACT) - Thursday, Jun 22, 2006 at 13:40
Thursday, Jun 22, 2006 at 13:40
I guess there is also the issue of percieved threat, we might think what we're doing is not at all threatening, don't mean the animal involved sees it the same way!
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Reply By: ro-dah-o (WA) - Thursday, Jun 22, 2006 at 12:33
Thursday, Jun 22, 2006 at 12:33
it would be the same for any animal I would think (including humans), If they feel threatened, they will take an appropriate course of action.
I have seen a roo kill a dog, but the dog chasd after it,. the roo acted accordingly, it felt threatened, so it defended it self.
All (most) living creatures have the fight or flight response, what it used would depend on past experience, learnt behaviours and other elements present at the time (e.g do they have
young at the time etc)
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Follow Up By: ro-dah-o (WA) - Thursday, Jun 22, 2006 at 12:38
Thursday, Jun 22, 2006 at 12:38
forget to offer my thoughts on the last part of your question, treat all wild animals with caution. many animals would have had minimal interaction by humans, especially ones in big, loud and unusual looking vehicles!! they are wild because of just that- they are wild!! If they were domesticated it might be a different story, we are strange creatures to them, so they will treat us accordingly.
if they want interaction or have been 'tamed', they will aproach you when good and ready. As for waking up and finding 4 foot fury marsupial laying on one of your fellow hikers bed roll................keep calm and run away!! Ha ha. only kidding, keep your cool and try not to startle them. they will move on eventually.
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Reply By: Member - Andrew W (SA) - Thursday, Jun 22, 2006 at 13:57
Thursday, Jun 22, 2006 at 13:57
I have been told ...
The one thing to remember is that these guys can't move backwards.
They use their tail to propel themselves forward with their legs assisting ...
Stand directly in front of them and block their route of escape and all four legs become disembowelling equipment and the tail provides the strength and power to do that. Just watch two big reds fighting.
I've never had them redirect their energies toward me if I was somewhat distant from them ... mother emus with chicks, though - that is a different story. Ever tried throwing a stick at an emu running at you ... it is very scarey, but funny to see the way their flexible neck can bend and twist at all sorts of strange angles differently from the body.
Ciao for now
Andrew ... if you had tackle as big and as exposed as some of those Old Man Reds you might be wary too ;-)
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Follow Up By: Joombi - Thursday, Jun 22, 2006 at 18:14
Thursday, Jun 22, 2006 at 18:14
Andrew, I've had a few pet roo's & they can move backwards in a straight line if they have to
& if an emu is chasing you, hit the deck on your back & kick your legs in the air, like riding a bike upside down, but be prepared to do this for a while until they loose interest & walk away.
if you are on your back, you are no threat to them & the kicking takes their mind off belting you one.
I've seen this done once, only just seen it cause my eyes were filled with tears from laughing, It worked but
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Reply By: TUFF IFS LUX - Sunday, Jun 25, 2006 at 22:30
Sunday, Jun 25, 2006 at 22:30
G'day all,
I dont understand why, with all the examples provided above of kangaroos attacking people, no one has bothered to get their rifle and remove the menace?
Each time Ive been camping and have come across a roo, or a roo comes too close to my campsite, smelling the food and wanting a feed I calmly stroll to my vehicle, remove my Remington, slowly load it and lock the bolt, put it to my shoulder and aim at him and pull the trigger and take that threat out of the equation.
Simple......
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Follow Up By: Member - Bware (Tweed Valley) - Sunday, Jun 25, 2006 at 22:51
Sunday, Jun 25, 2006 at 22:51
Mr Lux, them there's fightin' words talkin' 'bout our national emblem like that! LOL. I must say I enjoyed a rich pepper sauce over some 'roo loin fillets with a few glasses of red just the other day....
Don't know why they didn't farm kangaroo in the first place instead of introducing cattle which demand all that land clearing and cause erosion.
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