How deadly is a kangaroo?

Answer 1

Kangaroos are herbivores, so killing is not a usual behaviour for them. However, kangaroos, like all other animals, have natural means for defending themselves; for a kangaroo two of these defensive features are its large tail and oversized rear legs. Consider what an animal that can move as fast as a kangaroo could do with those legs if it should feel threatened. A territorial male can also be very aggressive.

There have actually been instances where kangaroos have been known to turn and attack aggressively when threatened. In 2009, an Australian farmer reported that, when his dog chased a kangaroo found drinking from his dam, the kangaroo literally grabbed the dog and held it under water, trying to drown it. The farmer himself was badly scratched when he went out to rescue his dog (the dog was rescued). According to paramedics, the man received a deep cut across his abdomen, a deep cut across his face and eye and a number of scratches to his chest, face and arms.

This story is the most recent of several isolated cases through the decades when kangaroos have turned dangerous.

Answer 2

Certainly.Kangaroos are often killed by cars and trucks. Outback and bush roads, and those even on urban fringes, are littered with kangaroo carcasses along the roadside, the result of unfortunate collisions between kangaroos and vehicles.

In a good season, the population of larger kangaroos can grow to plague proportions, resulting in government-sanctioned culling of these animals where they may threaten farmers' livelihoods. Wild kangaroos are also legally harvested for kangaroo meat.

Answer 3

In Australia, it is illegal for "ordinary" people to hunt kangaroos.

Kangaroo culls are permitted for farmers whose crops and properties are deemed to be at risk due to kangaroo overpopulation, but in order to gain permission, kangaroo "harvesters" must be licenced.

This is a very rigorous process. Licenced harvesters must undergo training by government accredited agencies and approved by the Australian TAFE (Tertiary and Further Education) agency in the appropriate State. During the training, the harvester is made aware of regulatory controls and compliance requirements, the animal welfare controls and the hygiene controls which must be strictly followed. Following the training, the potential harvester is then tested on the specifics of their training by two different Government Departments.

Because harvesting must be done humanely, the harvester will also be tested on how competent they are using their firearm. All kangaroo harvesters have to follow the numerous strict guidelines laid out in the Federal Government document 'Code of Practice for the Humane Shooting of Kangaroos'.

Answer 4

Kangaroos do not kill people.

Despite the fact that kangaroos are known to occasionally attack people, the only recorded fatality of a person by a kangaroo happened in 1936, in New South Wales. In this instance, a man was killed when he tried to rescue his dogs who were actually attacking the kangaroo.

Kangaroos jumping out in front of cars do contribute to car accidents. Meanwhile, both cyclists and motocyclists have been killed directly when they have hit these animals on the road, but this is uncommon, and no statistics are available.

Answer 5

There are over 60 species of kangaroos, and the predators which kill them are different according to the species.

Dingoes pose a threat to the species most commonly recognised as "kangaroos" (Western Grey, Eastern Grey and Red kangaroo), but there are no other major natural predators of the kangaroo. The majority of the dingo's diet (more than 50 per cent) comes from kangaroos and wallabies. In eastern NSW, the swamp wallaby is a particularly important prey species.

Eagles, hawks and other Birds of Prey may take young joeys.

One of the kangaroo's main enemies is man, who hunts and kills them and destroys their habitat.

Kangaroos used to have another predator, the Thylacine, also known as the Tasmanian tiger, which once roamed the mainland as well as Tasmania. Thylacines are now extinct.

Answer 6

Kangaroos are not deadly. There have been no reports of people being killed by kangaroos, although there are certainly reports from time to time of kangaroos attacking people.

Answer 7

I am pretty sure they can, and if they cant they can do very serious damage.

Answer 8

Yes. kangaroos can certainly kick. Males usually kick to establish their dominance over other males in a mob, but kangaroos will occasionally kcik in self-defence.