3 Injured After Large Kangaroo Attacks Family In Queensland

Three members of the same family were injured in Australia after an unusual attack by a kangaroo, from which they defended themselves using a broom and shovel.

Linda Smith, 64, was wounded in the lungs, in the ribs and underwent surgery Sunday, a day after the attack occurred on her property in the Sarling Downs region of Queensland.

She and her husband, Jim, fed thirty or more kangaroos and wallabies on their property every night. These wild animals suffer from food shortages due to the drought that affects the country.

A six-foot-tall male kangaroo attacked her husband when he fed him, the woman told the Queensland ambulance service.

“Jim was on the ground and the kangaroo kept hitting him, I went out to try to help him by picking up a broom, but the kangaroo managed to get my broom and attacked me,” the woman said.

His 40-year-old son succored his parents by hitting the kangaroo on the head with a shovel.

The animal fled immediately, the ambulance service said, noting that this type of attack is unusual.

The woman acknowledged that she knew of the risk and explained that kangaroos can be aggressive during the mating season.

In Australia, there are 46 million kangaroos, according to a government estimate made last year.