An Australian man took matters into his own hands when a kangaroo grabbed hold of one of his dogs during a hunting trip in New South Wales. In an astonishing incident that would only be believed if it were caught on camera, the man punched the kangaroo square in the face in order to save the canine.
The entire incident was in fact caught on film in June 2016, and the video has since gone viral being viewed some 30 million times online.
An Australian man punches a kangaroo in the face during a hunting trip in order to save his dog. (ViralHog/YouTube)
Greig Tonkins was on a hog hunting trip with friends when the unlikely incident took place. The trip was organized for a member of his group who had terminal cancer, and whose last wish was to catch a rare 220 pound wild boar with his dogs.
In the video, Tonkins is seen speeding through the brush on the back of a truck frantically calling out to one of his dogs who is being held captive by a kangaroo.
Check out the entire video below:
The marsupial seems to have the pooch in a headlock when Tonkins arrives. The wild animal attempts to finish the dog off with one final kick before the dog slips from its grip.
With the dog out of sight, suddenly, the kangaroo’s attention is on Tonkins.
An Australian man punches a kangaroo in the face during a hunting trip in order to save his dog. (ViralHog/YouTube)
Squaring up the kangaroo, Tonkins feels that his best course of action is to fight the animal off before it attacks him. Kangaroos are known to be fierce, aggressive animals with large claws that can inflict serious damage. A single kangaroo kick can likely disembowel a potential victim, and Tonkins stands right in the line of fire.
Tonkins lands a crushing blow squarely to the animal’s face with one swift punch. Stunned, the animal stammers back on its tail with a look of bewilderment.
An Australian man punches a kangaroo in the face during a hunting trip in order to save his dog. (ViralHog/YouTube)
The punch to the snout seems to have done the trick, as the kangaroo quickly decides to scamper away just moments later. Fortunately, both Tonkins and his dog escaped the ordeal unharmed.
Tonkins, an experienced zookeeper who had worked six years at the Taronga Western Plains Zoo, said the punch was a split-second reaction to a dangerous situation. The zoo has stated that Tonkins’ actions did not put his job in jeopardy, and that he advocates for the respectful treatment of all animals.
