A man in Australia died on Monday after being attacked by a kangaroo he had been keeping as a pet. It is believed this is the first fatal attack by a kangaroo on a human since 1936.
A relative found the 77-year-old man with serious injuries at his home in Redmond about 400km (250 miles) south of Perth.
When the ambulance crew arrived at the rural property, the animal prevented them from treating the man.
Police say they were forced to shoot the marsupial dead so paramedics could reach him. The man died at the scene.
Kangaroos can be quite dangerous
Kangaroos have “a lot of weapons” such as sharp teeth, claws, and powerful legs, behavior expert Graeme Coulson told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
“Certainly if they’re cornered or in some sort of distress, that can be quite dangerous,” Associate Professor Coulson said.
“The problem with kangaroos and people is we’re both upright animals, we stand on our two feet, and an upright stance like that is a challenge to the male kangaroo.”
In July, a kangaroo attacked a 67-year-old-woman while she was on a walk in Queensland. The woman suffered cuts and a broken leg as a result of the attack.
A three-year-old girl also suffered serious head injuries as a result of an attack in New South Wales in March.
The BBC says that urban development across Australia is increasingly encroaching on wild habitats.
Related: Melbourne Residents Horrified at Sight of Murdered Kangaroo Holding Greek Ouzo
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