If you are heading for the Australian capital city of Canberra, keep out of the way of the kangaroos.
That was the advice given by the city’s authorities yesterday after reports that the animals, driven into urban areas by a severe drought around the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), have been attacking humans and pets.
According to The Independent newspaper, the ACT Environment Department has issued an official warning not avoid kangaroos after one woman was attacked while out walking her pet poodle, and another witnessed a kangaroo drowning her golden retriever in a pond.
The Independent quotes a government wildlife ecologist as saying he is concerned that residents might overlook the fact that kangaroos are wild animals that can weigh as much as a grown man.
Murray Evans reportedly said: “Kangaroos don’t normally come out of the bush looking for people to attack, but they are less likely to back down when they are hungry. They are more likely to stand their ground when they have found grass, particularly the big males.”
Report by Tim Gillett, News From Abroad
