Murderous Kangaroo

[Kangaroo495]

As if sharks, spiders, snakes, jellyfish, crocs etc weren't enough...

A VICTORIAN man was almost drowned by a savage kangaroo after he dived into his farm dam to save his pet dog.

A VICTORIAN man was almost drowned by a kangaroo after he dived into his farm dam to save his pet dog.

Chris Rickard, 49, of Arthurs Creek, is being assessed by Austin Hospital surgeons after being mauled by the 1.5m roo at 9am (AEDT).

He only managed to end the attack when he elbowed the kangaroo in the throat as it tried to hold him under water, The Herald Sun reported.

By then he had already suffered a deep gash across his abdomen as the kangaroo tried to disembowel him with its hind legs, as well as a deep gash across his forehead and further cuts and scratches across his chest.

Speaking from the hospital's emergency department, Mr Rickard said he was walking his blue heeler dog Rocky at the back of his property about 400m from his home when they woke the kangaroo which had been sleeping in long grass near the dam.

The startled roo jumped into the dam, and Rocky followed. The roo then grabbed the dog with its front paws and held it under water for about 20 seconds until Mr Rickard arrived.

"I thought I might take a hit or two dragging the dog out from under his grip, but I didn't expect him to actually attack me,'' Mr Rickard said.

"I was stuck having to hold onto the dog with both hands because it was half drowned and I couldn't really see anything because the kangaroo just ripped into me.

"It was a shock at the start because it was a kangaroo, about 5ft high, they don't go around killing people.

"Then all of a sudden I realised the first hit gave me opened up a wide gash above my eye and blinded me.

"I was flailing away underwater carrying a dog with a kangaroo ripping into me.

"All I could do was just keep pushing for the bank and he was trying to push me under the water, so at that point I elbowed him in the throat and that made him back off a little bit.

"I don't think I'll ever be able to watch Skippy quite the same as I used to - it might bring back a couple of bad memories."

Follow the link to see a picture of the guy! http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/...6-1225802152546

[Ken Gargett]

interesting. the report we got was simply that it had attacked the dog.

no passengers in the aussie bush. even koalas have been kn own to inflict serious pain.

[Tampa1257]

Don't go distrubing Skippy's sleep!

[Ken Gargett]

there was a great moment on the skippy set when they got that famous old ham actor, frank thring, to guest star (think ben hur's nemisis).

they used to keep the wallabies in hessian bags (pre PC days of handling wildlife in film sets) until they needed one - they used about ten for the show.

frank has walked in, and in extreme, over the top, camp, deep hollywood best voice, gone, 'what, pray tell, is that squirming bag in the corner?' on being told it was one of the wallabies, he feigned outrage and said, 'my god, if that is the star's dressing room, where the hell have they got me!'

perhaps you had to be there (not that i was).

[thechenman]

Skippy? Who or what is Skippy?

[Kangaroo495]

Skippy? Who or what is Skippy?

Before we tell you, I would LOOOOOVE if you took a guess...

[thechenman]

Before we tell you, I would LOOOOOVE if you took a guess...

From what I have read...Skippy would be a kangaroo by my guess. Though the name sounds more apropos for a dog.

[Ken Gargett]

Before we tell you, I would LOOOOOVE if you took a guess...

years ago when i was doing a bit of travelling i could not believe how well known skippy was - it was really our first massive export - the kid and his roo.

i was crossing into northern pakistan from iran - and that is one desolate, isolated outpost if ever there was one. a couple of surly revolutionary guards with lots of big guns. fairly tense place. all of a sudden the bloke doing the passports, which had been handed over as a small bundle starts going ballastic. he is slamming one of them and yelling incoherently. turns out to be mine. i was the only aussie. we are all scared stiff that something ugly is about to happen - could have been buried out in the desert and no one would have ever known.

he is yelling at me and i cannot make sense of it. suddenly it dawns. it is banging the cover of my passport with his fist - it has our coat of arms which is an emu and a kangaroo (supposedly as they are two of the only animals that can never go backwards - and anyone who believes that has never seen our rubgy wallabies in action).

he had spotted the roo on the cover and was yelling skippy. apparently it had been big in southeast iran when this guy was a kid.

[Wil]

Typical Herald Scum BS! Geez, maybe the roo was defending itself against the dog?!

[samb]

From what I have read...Skippy would be a kangaroo by my guess. Though the name sounds more apropos for a dog.

x2 As for my guess, some kind of kangaroo kid's show. I wont google it just yet .

About the article, thats pretty sad. I hope the dog's ok?? I always walk my dog with a knife in pocket. Just in case something or someone attacks, I can cut the mother f-er.