Australia recorded its first fatal kangaroo attack in 86 years over the weekend when a 77-year-old man was killed by his pet.
Peter Eades was attacked on his property in rural Western Australia Sunday, according to ABC. He was discovered with serious injuries by a family member who contacted emergency services. Police were forced to fatally shoot the kangaroo to make the area safe for paramedics to treat Eades, who succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
Community members said Eades raised the kangaroo from when it was a joey. In Australia, permits are required to keep wild animals as pets, but it's unclear if Eades he had a permit to keep the kangaroo.
"They don't cope well in human situations, in care," Tanya Irwin, a senior veterinary nurse and wildlife caregiver at Native Animal Rescue in Western Australia, told the The New York Times.
Fatal kangaroo attacks are rare because the animal's first instinct is to flee. Irwin said kangaroos only attack when they feel cornered.
"Typically, when you come across them in the wild, they'll let you know that they're there and keep an eye on you, but they don't come after you," she said.
Wildlife carer Michelle Jones told ABC that Eades' death was a reminder that people need to be careful when interacting with kangaroos.
"It does really bring to light the fact that kangaroos are definitely not pets, they are wild animals," she said.
"I have raised joeys that sat in the palm of my hand and hadn't even opened up their eyes yet … at around 18 months to 3 years of age, these beautiful sweet lovable [animals], which is the description I would give them up to that point, become wild animals."
The last reported fatal kangaroo attack in Australia took place in the state of New South Wales in 1936, according to the Times. William Cruickshank, 38, died in hospital after sustaining injuries several weeks prior, when trying to rescue two dogs from a kangaroo. He suffered a broken jaw and head injuries that left him confined to a hospital bed.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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