Attack Of The 'Roo

Chris Rickard, 49, of Arthurs Creek, is being assessed by Austin Hospital surgeons after being mauled by the nearly 5-foot kangaroo at 9 a.m. AEDT. He only managed to end the attack when he elbowed the kangaroo in the throat as it tried to hold him under water.

By then he had already suffered a deep gash across his abdomen as the kangaroo tried to disembowel him with its hind legs, as well as a deep gash across his forehead and further cuts and scratches across his chest.

Speaking from the hospital's emergency department, Mr Rickard said he was walking his blue heeler dog Rocky at the back of his property about a quarter mile from his home when they woke the kangaroo which had been sleeping in long grass near the dam.

The startled roo jumped into the dam, and Rocky followed. The roo then grabbed the dog with its front paws and held it under water for about 20 seconds until Mr Rickard arrived.

"I thought I might take a hit or two dragging the dog out from under his grip, but I didn't expect him to actually attack me,'' Mr Rickard said.

"It was a shock at the start because it was a kangaroo, about 5 feet high, they don't go around killing people. Then all of a sudden I realised the first hit gave me opened up a wide gash above my eye and blinded me. I was flailing away underwater carrying a dog with a kangaroo ripping into me."