Kangaroo rips off man’s ear in attack

AUSTRALIA: A dad who shielded his kids from an angry kangaroo has had his ear torn and ribs broken.

Matthew Chenhall was walking behind his two daughters along his rural NSW property when a hissing and growling kangaroo appeared, stopping the girls in their tracks.

The two-metre kangaroo stood tall and acted aggressively, he said.

Nine-year-old Amelia threw a sausage sandwich she was holding in an attempt to lure the animal away, but this only fuelled its aggressive behaviour, Chenhall said.

He stood between the kangaroo and his girls, before the kangaroo got him in a headlock position, ripped his ear and broke his ribs.

‘‘I felt the nails go through my ear,’’ he said. ‘‘It was a very powerful hit and quite painful.’’

Stuck in the headlock for up to 15 seconds, Chenhall got his left arm free and landed a fist onto the boxing kangaroo’s chin.

‘‘I managed to get away, push the kids towards home and the kangaroo was still standing there, hissing. When we got back to the family home, the kids were hysterical.’’

His mother called an ambulance and he was taken to Shoalhaven District Memorial Hospital, where a plastic surgeon treated his torn ear with 12 stitches.

Chenhall was philosophical about the incident. ‘‘I think it was just one of those freak occurrences, something had certainly agitated it before we got there,’’ he said.

Wildlife Information Rescue and Education Service (WIRES) chairperson of Mid-South Coast Sandy Collins warned people not feed wild animals.