Kangaroos and dogs share a “deep-seated animosity,” leading kangaroos to constantly seek ways to fend off or even kill any dogs they encounter.
On October 12, a man in Australia was walking along the Murray River in northwestern Victoria when he suddenly noticed that his dog was missing. He looked down at the river and saw a kangaroo standing half-submerged in the water, with its front legs also submerged.
Kangaroos view dogs as a threat because dogs are closely related to dingoes, which are one of the few predators specialized in hunting kangaroos. (Photo: Lakey Farm).
The man then noticed his dog surface and gasp for air. He rushed down to rescue the dog while the kangaroo clung to its hindquarters and pulled back. Eventually, he managed to bring the dog safely to shore.
In 2020, a small dog nearly lost its life after fighting with a 1.5-meter-high kangaroo on the Brisbane River in Queensland. In 2014, another kangaroo attempted to drown two dogs after the dogs cornered it against a dam in New South Wales.
Professor Euan Ritchie, an expert in ecology and wildlife conservation at Deakin University, stated that kangaroos perceive dogs as a threat due to their close relationship with the dingo, one of the most formidable predators of kangaroos.
“Kangaroos have learned to handle these situations to escape attacks from dingoes, a dangerous predator they have coexisted with for thousands of years,” Professor Ritchie shared.
Dingoes are the largest terrestrial predators in Australia, having genetic lineage that mixes wolves and modern domestic dogs. Humans brought the ancestors of modern dingoes to this land approximately 5,000 to 8,500 years ago, and they gradually adapted to the local food, which includes marsupials and reptiles.
It wasn’t until 1788 that modern dogs were brought to Australia on the first ships carrying British prisoners and Icelanders to the continent.
Kangaroo jumping into the water to escape from domestic dogs and dingoes. (Photo: Lakey Farm).
Dingoes typically hunt kangaroos in large packs. To conclude the chase, dingoes bite the kangaroo’s legs to slow it down, followed by biting at the neck or running alongside the kangaroo and suddenly snapping at its neck from the side.
Kangaroos often try to escape by jumping into the nearest pond or lake. This is an effective escape strategy to avoid domestic dogs and dingoes. If any dog continues to pursue, the kangaroo will attempt to drown it in the water.
A wild kangaroo attempting to drown a domestic dog.
This instinctive behavior has evolved in kangaroos to protect themselves against predators. Kangaroos are often very strong, capable of standing on their hind legs and using their front legs to confront their opponents.
The eastern gray kangaroo can weigh up to 70 kg, with long and powerful front legs and sharp claws that can hold and drown a dog.
The largest species of kangaroo is the red kangaroo, with males weighing up to 92 kg. Red kangaroos sometimes even attack humans. A kick or scratch from them can cause serious injuries.
