Ex-MMA trainer fights kangaroo that attacked his dogs in wild video
Western grey kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus), looks at a photographer over tall grass. Boolcoomatta Bush Heritage Australia Reserve, northeastern South Australia. (Auscape/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
VICTORIA, Australia - A kangaroo got more than it bargained for when it went toe-to-toe with a man trying to protect his dogs on his property in Australia.
Ex-MMA trainer Cliff Dess put his combat skills to work in the one-on-one brawl with the animal.
In a video shared on YouTube with over 300,000 views, Dess ran away from the kangaroo before getting trampled.
Moments later, Dess grabbed a stick and proceeded to whack the kangaroo to protect himself and his beloved dogs.
"Whacking it, trying to keep it at bay...but yeah it didn’t last too long," Dess explained in an interview with 9News Australia. The stick didn’t stop the kangaroo as it continued to attack. Dess then used his skills to gain an advantage.
He grabbed the kangaroo's arm and wrestled it to the ground, and placed his weight on the animal to subdue it.
But Dess didn’t walk away from the brawl unscathed. He told 9News Australia that he was gouged on his head and leg and had his finger bitten by the kangaroo.
He went on to tell the media outlet that following the attack, the kangaroo attempted to go after his dogs again for 20 minutes before the animal left his yard.
The kangaroo was not injured in the incident, 9News reported.
Kangaroos raised in captivity and released into the wild it may approach you demanding food by scratching and biting. It may even see you as another animal and start to kick and scratch as a form of 'play fighting' or to assert its dominance, according to the Queensland Government website.
Moreover, kangaroos that are injured or sick can also become defensive if approached and may be dangerous, the website adds. The Australian agency says if you enter an area where kangaroos live, it’s recommended to give them space. If you see one, stay away from it and watch how it behaves. If it moves toward you, or shows signs of being aggressive, move away.
This story was reported from Washington, D.C.