A 77-year-old man was found dead by a relative in the country’s first fatal kangaroo attack since 1936.
Australian police say a man died after being attacked by a kangaroo he was keeping as a pet.
The 77-year-old was found seriously injured by a relative on Monday at his home in Redmond, 400 km south of Perth.
When the paramedics arrived at the rural property, the kangaroo prevented them from taking care of him.
The police were forced to shoot and kill the marsupial. The man died instantly.
A police spokesman told the media that he believed the man had been attacked by a kangaroo – a wild animal – earlier in the day.
Australia is home to about 50 million kangaroos, which can weigh up to 90 kg and reach two meters in height.
But fatal attacks are rare – this is the first time they have been recorded in Australia since 1936.
Kangaroo behavior expert Graeme Coulson explained to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that kangaroos have “many weapons” such as sharp teeth, claws and strong legs.
“Certainly, if they get trapped or are in some sort of distress, it can be very dangerous,” Coulson said.
“The problem with kangaroos and people is that they’re upright animals, and we’re standing, and an upright posture like this is a challenge for a male kangaroo.”
In July, a 67-year-old woman was injured and broken by a kangaroo after attacking her on a picnic in Queensland.
A three-year-old girl suffered severe head injuries during an attack in New South Wales in March.
Urban development across Australia is increasingly encroaching on wild kangaroo habitats.
– This text was published in https://www.bbc.com/portuguese/geral-62889023
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