After an interval of 86 years, a man was killed by a wild kangaroo in Australia. The 77-year-old was found by a relative with serious injuries. The incident took place in the desolate town of Redmond in Western Australia. Police suspect that the man was keeping the kangaroo as a pet.
A state police spokesperson told AFP that the man is believed to have been attacked by the wild animal earlier in the day. After the relative reached out for her, the paramedics' crew raced to the property but the man died before they could help.
The kangaroo was still at the property and prevented the health professionals from reaching the injured man. Police had to shoot and kill the animal because it was posing an ongoing threat to emergency responders.
Police haven't yet determined the species of the kangaroo but the Great Southern region of Western Australia is home to the western grey. They can grow up to seven feet long and weigh up to 70 kg.
The last fatal attack by a kangaroo was reported in 1936. A 38-year-old man was attacked by a kangaroo when he tried to rescue two dogs from the wild animal. He received multiple head injuries and a broken jaw.
Australia is home to around 50 million kangaroos that can grow up to 2m tall and weigh up to 90 kg. They can attack with sharp teeth, claws, and powerful legs. Kangaroo behaviour expert Graeme Coulson told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that they can be "quite dangerous" if they feel cornered or if they are in some sort of distress.
He added that some male kangaroos can consider the upright stance of humans as a challenging pose. Urban development has been a serious threat to wild kangaroo habitats which forces them to leave their usual territories and come in contact with humans.