Both male and female kangaroos are large, powerful, wild animals that are capable of inflicting injury on people and they need to be treated with an appropriate level of respect and caution.
In a battle royale for Most Powerful Animal, a red kangaroo might take the martial-arts belt, thanks to a bone-shattering kick that delivers 759 pounds of force. Evolution has nudged wild creatures to hone their blows, bites, and brute strength for survival.
Big claws on the feet, and huge muscles in the legs ensure that the kick is painful and damaging. Male kangaroos have thickened skin around their bellies to protect themselves from this, and they can take hundreds of kicks in the course of a fight. A few kicks like this would be sufficient to disembowel a human.
Kangaroo attacks in Australia are rare because kangaroos are usually docile; however, they can attack when provoked or cornered, and they have been known to kill dogs. Very occasionally they can attack even if not provoked.
If the kangaroo does start to attack you, you should refrain from running away because this could provoke the animal into acting more aggressively. Instead, you should try to intimidate the kangaroo by making yourself look much larger than it is by spreading your arms wide and making a lot of noise.
A kangaroo would win a fight against a human being.
In the wild, a kangaroo will try to grasp their prey and then tear into it with the claws on its feet. This will inflict devastating wounds on a human being or even disembowel them. Without weapons and armor, humans are fragile to these wild animals.
Ian Temby, who spent 33 years with the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, said kangaroo attacks are rare, but could be fatal in some circumstances. "If you're standing up, the kangaroo can kick you with its hind feet and that can pretty much rip you open," he said. "That's extremely dangerous."
a habituated kangaroo (a kangaroo who is used to people) has aggressive traits. 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. As resulting injuries can be serious, avoiding conflict with kangaroos is vital.
They also have a punch force of about 275 pounds. Kangaroos also have powerful jaws, coming in with a bite force of up to 925 PSI – this is the same bite force as a grizzly bear!
If you head into an area where kangaroos are known to live, you'll likely see a sign with a recommended speed limit as well. But since kangaroos can hit a top speed of up to 70 km/h, you should safely slow down if you come across one unexpectedly.
A two-footed dropkick from a grey kangaroo – which can travel 20 feet in a single hop – can break bones and even bring death to an opponent.
They can cause serious injury. Their sharp claws can make deep cuts, and their powerful kicks can cause severe bruising and internal injuries.
In fact, zebras have the most powerful kick of any animal on the planet, and they've been known to kill lions with a swift kick to the head.
“Kangaroos and dogs just do not mix. Kangaroos see dogs as a threat and get spooked by them,” Evans said.
Kangaroos face few natural predators, aside from humans and wild dogs called dingoes. Heat, drought, and hunger due to vanishing habitat are among the largest threats to kangaroos.
Keep the areas of mown, fertilised grass, and large shade trees to a minimum - these attract kangaroos. Backyard barriers such as plantings, hedges, garden • furniture and other obstacles can be effective in discouraging kangaroos from hanging out in the high use areas close to your home.
Rats and house cats were the easiest presumed pushovers, with two-thirds of participants claiming they could see one off, while grizzly bears, elephants and lions were rightfully respected – only 2 per cent of pollsters claimed they would be able to take one down.
People tend to under-estimate humans and over-estimate animals. There are very few animals that humans haven't already beaten in an 'evenly matched' fight. The few that could definitely defeat us every time are tigers, brown bears, large sharks and the very massive herbivores like elephants, water buffalo and rhinos.
Brake Heavily, Don't Swerve
In case a kangaroo inevitably jumps in front of your vehicle, it is best to just brake heavily instead of trying to swerve to avoid them. The best advice is to just slow down and try braking in a straight line. You should only try swerving once your vehicle has slowed down sufficiently.
Contrary to popular belief, kangaroos don't normally try to box, or punch, each other, says Festa-Bianchet. Instead, they prefer to balance on their strong tails and kick with their powerful back legs.
Ordinarily, it is illegal to kill, buy, sell or possess a kangaroo in Australia. However, in response to the growing kangaroo population, the Australian government permits licence holders to 'cull' or shoot kangaroos.