‘Boxing’ kangaroo places US city on lockdown – learn how to defend your self from psycho animals

A US town was on lockdown after a wild kangaroo was spotted last month, according to officials. The “potentially dangerous” animal escaped its enclosure after an encounter with a bear, and went on the run in Iam, Florida.

To the relief of townspeople, the kangaroo was captured last week by its owner in Volusia County and “returned to its home after being bedded down in heavy cover”. Although having done the brave thing and retrieved the kangaroo, its owner was cited for improper caging, an expired licence and failure to report the escape within 12 hours.

Before the animal was apprehended, it had gone on a wild streak around the area while scaring locals and tourists alike. According to New South Wales’ Office for Environment and Heritage, a kangaroo may view a human as a “sparring partner”.

It added: “A kangaroo will attack a person as if they were another kangaroo. It may push or grapple with its forepaws or sit back and kick out with its hind legs. Resulting injuries can be serious.”

The release went on to say that although usually docile omnivores, if feeling riled up or threatened they might start to get angry – something which a kangaroo on the run in Florida is likely to do.

How to defend yourself

If you do find yourself squaring up to one of Australia’s finest, there are a few things you can do to keep yourself alive.

Before a fight, a kangaroo will rear up and start tensing its muscles, but you shouldn’t match it’s “alpha-ness” according to a YouTube channel called How To Survive.

Despite many experts often advising humans to “make themselves big” when encountering an animal, when it comes to kangaroos humility needs to be shown and you should actually make yourself small. “Keep low, and let out a submissive cough,” the YouTube documentary explained.

You also shouldn’t run – kangaroos can reach up to speeds of 37mph so will win most races. Instead, back away slowly, but never turn your back on the beast. The narrator also urged people not to “scream” in front of a kangaroo, as this will enrage them further.

In 2016, a video of a man punching a kangaroo in the face after it put his dog in a headlock underwater in a lake went viral. Although there’s no watertight procedure of what to do if your pooch gets trapped by a roo, you shouldn’t intervene because kangaroos are “super built to hold on to things” and will often try to drown dogs, who they particularly dislike.

The best method is to not let your pet get too close to a kangaroo in the first place, but if worst comes to worst, “sometimes the best way is just to throw down and size up to the beast”, according to the ‘How-to’ documentary.