Kangaroos are often seen as cuddly animals that hop along beaches. However, there’s a dangerous side to kangaroos many aren’t aware of. If you’re interested in learning why kangaroos can be somewhat menacing, you’ll want to keep reading.
Are Kangaroos Aggressive?
Kangaroos aren’t usually aggressive, but they can be in some situations. For instance, if a female kangaroo is nearby, a male kangaroo might be a little irritated toward another animal or human if they are close to her.
Are They Aggressive Toward Humans?
Some kangaroos can also be aggressive toward humans during their search for food. Many kangaroos have now found a fascination with human food left behind on streets or in trash cans, like French fries, and will be hostile toward those it sees holding a potential snack. Because of this, tourist attractions near kangaroo habitats tend to ban food.
However, kangaroos will give you a warning sign to back off before they hurt you, such as standing up on their hind legs.
Has a Kangaroo Killed Anyone?
There are a few reports of kangaroos killing people but this is still very rare. One of the most famous stories of a kangaroo killing someone is from New South Wales in 1936. A man was beaten to death by a kangaroo after trying to intervene between a fight the animal was having with his two dogs.
While kangaroos don’t usually kill people, that doesn’t mean they don’t attack them. There have been many stories of these animals hopping by Australian homes and picking fights with homeowners in their yard because they’re around a food source.
Sometimes tourists can also become victims because they’re exploring a kangaroo’s territory during their trip – something they don’t like.
Do Kangaroos Have Predators?
This animal does have a few predators they need to keep an eye out for. Some of the most common are humans, dingoes, and eagles. Young kangaroos also need to watch out for foxes and wild dogs that like to hunt them.
How Do Kangaroos Defend Themselves?
One of the main ways kangaroos defend themselves is by using their powerful hind legs to hit whatever it feels threatened by. The kangaroo will lift itself up on its tail, slightly lean back, and then hit its muscular legs against whatever it’s bothered by. Some kangaroos might also use their claws to try tearing their opponent’s eyes out.
This animal will also send warning signals to other kangaroos if they sense danger. Some ways they do this is by stomping their feet and hitting their tail on the ground.
How Strong is a Kangaroo Kick?
This animal has an impressively powerful kick that has been known to kill people or break bones. It’s thought that kangaroos have a kick of 850 PSI.
Sometimes kangaroos will jump up to 30-feet in the air before they extend their hind legs to kick giving them more power to their punch. Their feet are extremely long and have a sharp claw in the center that can rip apart flesh. In fact, their feet are so razor-sharp that they can cut through a human’s clothing and abdomen in a few seconds. The combination of their kick and claws can be so powerful that it can rupture your stomach and surrounding organs.
It can be difficult to escape a kangaroo when they kick, but you can easily brace yourself for it. By lifting your hands and turning your head away from the kangaroo, it can lessen the blow. You’ll also want to stand away from the kangaroo’s kicking range but not run away from them as this will entice them even more.
Do Kangaroos Actually Box?
Yes, male kangaroos box and this is one way they work to quickly protect themselves or show their status. Male kangaroos will box against each other by punching their front paws toward one another. They will do this while balancing themselves on their tails.
When boxing, the males will make noises and try swiping at each other’s head and kicking each other in the stomach. This fight will continue for hours until one of them falls to the ground, gives up, or dies. They do this as a way to show dominance and to gain the attention of a future mate. Sometimes young males will box for fun against each other and as a way to practice for when they get older.
Female kangaroos also box but this isn’t often and is usually over food or to gain access to a prime drinking spot.
Are Kangaroos Dangerous to Dogs?
Most kangaroos are scared of dogs and will quickly hop away from them. However, there are a handful of brave ones that will try to fight a dog they feel threatened by, especially if the dog is chasing them.
Kangaroos will use various tactics to get rid of the dog, such as allowing them to pursue them near water where they will then turn around and try to drown the canine. Some might even grab a dog and put them in a headlock.
Are Kangaroos Friendly?
Kangaroos can be friendly, especially if they live in areas highly populated by humans or come into constant contact with them, such as in zoos. Sometimes kangaroos will approach you but this is usually in search of food.
Can I Pet a Kangaroo in the Wild?
It’s best not to try to attempt petting a wild kangaroo as they can be very skeptical of humans. Some kangaroos might also see people as a threat and hop over in an attempt to defend their territory. Most wild female kangaroos are very shy and curious and will watch visitors, but males can be very territorial and might try to fight you.
You should be fine if you want to observe wild kangaroos from a distance, but you should never get close to them, even if it appears that they are coming closer to you.
Kangaroos are fascinating animals, but they can be very dangerous as well. Because of this, it’s best to keep your distance from them, especially if they are in the wild.
A few things:
– Kangaroos eat grass, they do not eat human food like chips (!) much less go looking in rubbish bins for food. Nor are they generally in towns. The tv news stories you see of kangaroos in suburbs is a rare occurrence – kangaroos are largely locally extinct from most Australian landscapes.
– You are correct in that there is only one recorded occurrence of a kangaroo killing a person – and it was when that person’s dog (a predator species) had chased a kangaroo (a prey species) into a dam where any kangaroo fights for its life. The dog’s owner waded into the dam to stop the kangaroo beating off the attack and in the roo’s panic fight for its life, was likewise treated as a predator.
– Kangaroos don’t “allow” dogs to chase them. They flee, and if there is water, they flee to the water trying to stop the predation of the dogs. We continually deal with kangaroos that die from stress myopathy after such attacks by dogs. The big males will often stand their ground when dogs (or human predators) and only turn when the rest of the kangaroo mob with its does, smaller males and joeys have fled from the predator. The males never choose to fight a predator – it is life and death for them.
– Kangaroos do not live in areas of high population. The science in fact confirms that persistance of kangaroos is dependent on habitat (bushland), good feed (natural grass understorey) and a lack of humans. Where kangaroos still persist at the edges of rural towns in remnant habitat the science confirms that over time those kangaroos are killed by roads, dogs, fences or shooting and local extinctions occur. Australia’s capital city Canberra – where you might see tv news of kangaroos on front lawns during drought – is in fact built in prime kangaroo habitat, with fingers of remnant bushland (and remnant kangaroos) surrounding new suburbs. Over time, those animals will die from human causes and another local extinction in each new suburb will occur.
– There is no record of kangaroos fighting each other to the death. Generally the fight is caused by a younger male wanting to test the old alpha male, but usually the fight stops and normal relationships resume when one of the males gives up.
– Kangaroos don’t actually box, it’s their kicking that is the fight. Their tiny arms and big shoulder muscles are for holding the other kangaroo while they kick. Also, their claws on both feet and arms are not sharp – they are very blunt. The fight is about the kick, not trying to rip open bellies!!
Otherwise, a good little article!
Helen Bergen, THANK YOU for correcting everyone’s desire to over-dramatise and/or demonise animals. That’s far closer to my instinctive feelings about kangaroos. The video above shows a roo “threatening” a dog – but that dog was probably chasing it? and was only being held, not kicked. So, good on you and again, THANKS.