'Distressed' Kangaroo Gets into 'Boxing Match' with Man, Then Tries to Drown Him in Floodwaters

Yahoo

6 days ago

A kangaroo reportedly attacked a man and tried to submerge him in floodwaters in New South Wales, Australia, on May 23
The animal later ran off after it was apparently spooked by something
"Even in Australia, you do not expect to see it," said witness Kristy Lees
A kangaroo in distress attempted to down a man during a recent heavy storm in Australia that claimed multiple lives.
Kristy Lees, who witnessed the altercation on Friday, May 23, told the BBC that at the time, she and her husband were driving down to check the water levels in the North Shore of Port Macquarie, a city in New South Wales.
Then, Don James, the man who was attacked by the animal, and another man warned the couple that there was a big kangaroo around the next parked vehicle, the outlet reported.
Speaking with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Lees said that suddenly the kangaroo 'leapt at our car."
Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories
Lees told the BBC that the kangaroo began to attack her car before focusing its attention on James, who was walking away up the road.
"They literally got into a boxing match," Lees said. "I'm looking in the rear-view mirror and they are throwing punches."
She also said that James ran and fell into a patch of floodwater by the side of the road. James told the ABC that the animal tried to hold him down into the water.
"I just remember being under water and kicking and screaming and carrying on!" he recalled, saying it was "pretty traumatic for a while there.'
To James' luck, the kangaroo apparently got spooked by something and ran off. The BBC reported that an approaching car driven by James' friend may have been responsible for that.
Lees believed the kangaroo, which was described as being "very distressed," got trapped during the recent flooding due to heavy rain last week in southeast Australia that left at least four people dead and about 50,000 people stranded.
According to an article posted on the University of Melbourne's website, kangaroos are generally peaceful animals, but they can also be dangerous. The article stated that kangaroos possess 'powerful arms and massive feet' that can be used as weapons during male-to-male combat.
'Indeed, a pet kangaroo may perceive its human owner as a rival kangaroo or a potential predator, or perhaps both,' the post read. 'As a result, kangaroos sometimes attack people, causing nasty and even fatal injuries.'
In 2022, a 77-year-old Australian man died after he was attacked by a wild kangaroo, which was believed to be the first fatal attack involving a kangaroo in Australia since 1936.
Even Lees acknowledged the unusual nature of the situation she witnessed, telling the BBC: "It's not every day a big, male kangaroo decides to take you on... Even in Australia, you do not expect to see it."
Read the original article on People