Kangaroo Slashes Man Trying to Save Dog

(AP)  An Australian man was in stable condition Monday after being slashed across the abdomen and face by a kangaroo that was holding his dog underwater.

Chris Rickard, 49, said he was walking his blue heeler, Rocky, on Sunday morning when they surprised a sleeping kangaroo in Arthur's Creek northeast of Melbourne. The dog chased the animal into a pond but it then turned and pinned the pet underwater.

When Rickard tried to pull his dog free, the kangaroo turned on him, attacking with its hind legs and tearing a deep gash into his abdomen and across his face.

"I thought I might take a hit or two dragging the dog out from under his grip, but I didn't expect him to actually attack me," Rickard told The Herald Sun newspaper. "It was a shock at the start because it was a kangaroo, about 5 feet high, they don't go around killing people."

Kangaroos rarely attack humans but will fight if they feel threatened.

Dogs often chase kangaroos, which have been known to lead the pets into water and then pin them underwater as a means of defense.

Rickard said he ended the attack by elbowing the kangaroo in the throat, adding Rocky was "half-drowned" when he pulled him from the water.

[scubbasteve01]

Psychotic Kangaroo? Now if he's going to do that to dog. I would suggest that humans stay away...very
far away.

[erasmus111]

I feel bad for the man and his dog, but I also feel bad for the kangaroo. Whenever I was out in the sticks, I would never allow my dog to run loose. I wasn't about to take the chance that he would run into a bear or something.

[RunsWithWolves]

Always take a wolf with you when you go for a walk in Australia. Kangaroos don't bother wolves, believe me.

[luvheat]

I guess I should have said Racoons

[luvheat]

yeah doesn't sound as though they were on a stroll through the bush. Dumb dog vs smart "I don't know"...I've known coons to do the same to animals twice their size. Don't even get me started on Badgers and Wolverines

[reappel]

Could this be the same kangaroo that's often seen on Flash Forward?

[erasmus111]

I don't recall seeing any kangaroo on Flash Forward.

[mikailb2]

Well its tough on dogs but i dont have much sympathy for it as the dog sounds half wild anyway in chasing the kangaroo so there isn't much difference in my opinion between the two , maybe the owner of the dog shud have taught it to respond to his commands more so .
On the credit side , maybe the dog will avoid these wild animals in future so they will have a more peaceful life from being chased by half wild dogs .

[Sloughfoot]

Bet ol Rickard had been running roos with that dog in the past and they met up with a roo that wouldn't run. Way to go roo.

[wyodutch]

He ought to have had .22 with him. Oh.. that's right, Australians, being subjects... not citizens, cannot own or possess firearms.

[hungry1968-17]

Right, right.....

"Oh, look a sleeping kangaroo...."

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!

[catoom]

Beats being an ignoramus who believes all he/she reads in the media and cannot tell 'roo droppings from clay

[rf35]

I'm glad the dog survived.