A woman (69) was attacked and seriously injured by a kangaroo while playing golf in the Australian state of Queensland.
By Christoph Boeck
The victim was taken to a hospital “in a stable condition,” local emergency services said on Twitter on Friday. According to media reports, the marsupial attack happened at the Arundel Hills Country Club, on the popular Gold Coast with tourists.
Because of cute! The animal attacked without any warning and suddenly kicked the Australian. “She fell to the ground with that first kick and while she was on the ground the kangaroo kicked her several more times,” said Joel McEwan, chief of operations for Queensland Ambulance Operations.
The Australian newspaper The Guardian reports that the kangaroo suddenly stopped its attack and fled, leaving the woman on the ground with severe cuts to her face, head, arms and legs.
The victim, still conscious, took shelter in a golf cart after the attack. Paramedics arrived shortly thereafter.
It is not yet clear why the kangaroo attacked the Australian. Normally, the animals are rather peaceful – but they can become aggressive if they feel threatened, said the Queensland Department of the Environment. “Although the risk of this happening is very small, we still have to be careful around the animals,” it said.
Third kangaroo attack since mid-March
According to 9News, this was the third kangaroo attack Down Under since mid-March.
At the time, a teenager was out and about on her moped in the state of Victoria when a kangaroo suddenly jumped out of the forest and pushed her off the bike. The result: the 14-year-old lay in the hospital for ten days with serious injuries.
Also in March, a three-year-old girl was attacked by a kangaroo on her home property in New South Wales and seriously injured.