A woman in Australia has undergone emergency surgery after she was attacked by a six-foot kangaroo while feeding the animal at her home in Queensland.
Linda Smith suffered a collapsed lung, broken ribs, cuts and scratches after the animal turned on her as she attempted to protect her husband.
The 64-year-old and her husband Jim Smith are wildlife carers who feed around 30 kangaroos and wallabies at their 60-acre property in Darling Downs every night.
“We feed them a mix of grain and chaff as with the drought there’s nothing out there,” Ms Smith told Brisbane Times from her hospital bed.
It was during one of the nightly feeds the large marsupial buck struck out at Mr Smith.
Recalling the terrifying ordeal, he said: “It's scary, it knocked me over once or twice and once they grab you, you can see what they do.”
As he lay on the ground the animal "kept at him", and even after Ms Smith hit it with a broom, it didn't relent. Instead, it attacked her too.
The animal finally retreated into a nearby bushland after the couple's son struck it with a piece of wood.
Ms Smith was rushed to a local hospital, where she underwent surgery.
“I am always careful, especially of the males. It’s breeding time so they can be more aggressive. I don’t want this kangaroo to be hunted down and killed, I love animals.” She said from her hospital bed
“I do understand what happened but I have never seen one that aggressive — it was in there for a fight and it wouldn't’t back off.”
Queensland Ambulance Service's senior operations supervisor Stephen Johns said Ms Smith was lucky to be alive.
She suffered multiple lacerations while her son, 40, had minor injuries.
Despite their ordeal the couple are determined to continue caring for young joeys. Ms Smith said: ”I don't want this kangaroo to be hunted down and killed, I love animals."
