Seeing a kangaroo on the TV or at the Zoo is one thing, but living in a country full of these muscular marsupials is tough. Australia is known to house a lot of dangerous animals, but those that don’t live in the country have always had a slightly different opinion about kangaroos.
For example, when we say kangaroo, we think of the cute little Joeys that come out of their mothers’ pouches. But Australians have mixed feelings about them. Probably because getting hit in the face by one of them is not quite an amazing adventure…
20. The Cute Roo
adnkronos.com
Yes, we’ve all seen that cute baby kangaroo hugging its teddy bear. But Joshua Hayden learned that kangaroos can also head-b*** people. And trust him, it was very painful…
19. Knocked Out Cold
imgur.com
This young man got knocked out cold after being head-butted by a kangaroo. It happened in Western Australia. He was only 19 years old and he was in the car with his brother. It was dark and suddenly…
18. Spotting the Prey
imgur.com
Joshua was out with his brother to hunt some kangaroos. He spotted three kangaroos, but at one moment he only saw two. So, he leaned out the window for a better shot. Guess what happened next?
17. Smashing Into The Car
dailymail.co.uk
The third kangaroo appeared and smashed into Joshua’s car. Here is what he remembered: ‘It actually collided with the side of the car and smashed the front window’. And that’s not all!
16. Right Into the Face
perthnow.com
‘Then it bounced back onto me and head-butted me straight in the jaw’, said Joshua. He thought that the kangaroo hit the car and then tried to get back, but his face ‘just happened to be there’.
15. The Kangaroo Did It!
perthnow.com.au
Joshua lost his conscience for almost half a minute and when he woke up he heard his brother: ‘I woke up and my brother was trying to tell me what happened’. You won’t believe what Joshua said!
14. Did You Just… Hit Me?
perthnow.com
‘I said ‘No, you hit me’ and he said ‘No, the kangaroo did’’, said Joshua. But there wasn’t time to argue, so his brother took him first to Kellerberrin Memorial Hospital, then to the Northam Emergency Department, finally being sent to the Royal Perth Hospital.
13. Telling The Story Again
imgur.com
Joshua was interviewed by the media and he had to tell his story. It was an accident and he didn’t even get that close to the kangaroo to fight him like this guy did. What happened next to Joshua?
12. Surgery Was Needed
dailymail.co.uk
The young man needed surgery, but he had to wait 10 days for surgery because his face was too swollen. His cheekbone, eye socket, and jaw were shattered and once he went into surgery, the facial reconstruction lasted two hours. And that’s not all!
11. Never Seen Something Like That
dailymail.co.uk
Joshua said that ‘out of all the times we have been out [in the] bush I have never heard of this before’. He wasn’t prepared to see a kangaroo fight back. Here is what a wildlife expert said about the incident…
10. Crazy Hoppers
dailymail.co.uk
‘The kangaroos are going crazy these days. As soon as they see a car, they hop right up to it and give it right back.’ And isn’t it obvious why they do it? It’s because they feel threatened and kangaroos are quite the hotheads! A zoologist said this amazing thing…
9. A Natural Reaction
perthnow.com
Deb Morley, who works at the Caversham Wildlife Park, said that ‘any wild animal is going to defend itself if feeling threatened’. Here are some facts about kangaroos to support her claims.
8. A Wise Advice
twitter.com
As for Joshua, he’s willing to advise people to ‘keep your head inside the car unless you know where the kangaroos are’, because ‘they’ve got hard heads on them’. And don’t get out of the car like this woman did! Check her out in the next photo.
7. Knock-Knock
metro.co.uk
Australians know how dangerous these muscular marsupials can be, especially when they get mad. But this man had no idea why he was visited by the angry fella. Some people argued that the animal saw its reflection in the window.
6. A Terrifying Video
metro.co.uk
Looking at the claws and the huge animal, we’re thankful that we only get to see our door-to-door salesmen annoyingly knock on our doors!
5. Traveling in Mobs
metro.co.uk
A pack of kangaroos is called a mob and their leader is the largest male in the group. He will exert control with force, like biting and kicking others to follow him. This was surely an alpha that had a bone to pick with the owner…
4. A Speedster
imgur.com
Even though kangaroos cannot walk or run, they can hop and they can even reach 40 miles per hour, using those powerful hind legs. So, imagine how hard they can hit you at just a little speed.
3. Hunting Kangaroos
imgur.com
Joshua said that hunting kangaroos is part of their culture. Kangaroo meat is being legally consumed nationwide since 1993 and it’s a delicacy in some countries. The leather is also used domestically or exported. Of course, not all Australians eat kangaroo meat.
2. Kangaroo Attacks
twitter.com
There have been many kangaroo attacks over the years. They’re considered pests, and its population has overgrown due to the good weather conditions and fewer predators. Unfortunately, many people get to the hospital after a roo-encounter.
1. Some Kangaroos Are Gentle!
littlethings.com
Of course, there are many other kangaroos that have been rescued and raised by people. Little Abi was rescued too and he lives at the Kangaroo Sanctuary in Alice Springs, Australia. Every day he comes to the caretakers and gives them big warm hugs!
Whether it’s a head-b***, a punch in the face, some banging in the window or a big hug, experiences with kangaroos will surely make an unforgettable memory!