Down, sport! Man fights kangaroo to save dog’s life
Remarkable footage has emerged of a man going toe-to-toe with a kangaroo who has his pet dog Max trapped in a headlock.
The video opens with an SUV barreling along a dirt track in the Australian outback. A man identified as Greig Tonkins jumps out of vehicle when he notices Max is getting a lot of unwanted attention from a kangaroo.
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At first it appears as the giant marsupial is merely standing beside the dog, “but all is not as it seems,” the narrator reveals. “The big buck actually has hold of the dog, not the other way around.”
As Greig runs in it becomes clear that Max is completely trapped in the grip of the powerful beast. The roo lashes out at the hapless dog as he foresees a showdown between himself and Greig.
“The buck roo sees the odds stacking against him and tries to get the dog with its claws one last time. Its powerful arms anchor the dog by the breastplate as Max doubles his efforts to escape.”
Finally, Max manages to wriggle free and the roo switches his attention to Greig. The pair square off in boxing fashion, poised to see who will make the first move.
Greig gets the jump on the buck with a sweet right hand that rattles the roo.
“The cranky buck comes forward ready to attack. To save himself he launches a right hand to the kangaroo’s snout.”
The big beast appears stunned by the haymaker, he stands still as a statue for a number of seconds before bounding away.
It’s unclear what TV show originally aired the footage but it went viral after American viewer Steven Stubenrauch posted it on Facebook, saying: “My buddy from Australia sent me this. Them roos are wild as hell.”
Greig was later revealed to be a zookeeper from Taronga Zoo with the video causing outrage from concerned animal lovers. The zoo released a statement defending Greig, claiming he followed a "best practice approach to animal care and welfare" and that his role at the zoo was not under threat following the video.
Since being uploaded, the footage has been shared innumerable times and gained millions of views.
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