The video of a kangaroo attempting to drown a dog in a river in Australia has garnered widespread attention online, but this incident isn’t an isolated occurrence.
Mick Moloney, while strolling along the banks of the Murray River in northwestern Victoria, Australia, discovered that his dog Hutchy had gone missing. Upon scanning the water’s edge, he spotted a kangaroo standing in the river, its arms submerged.
“Before I knew it, Hutchy emerged, gasping for air, water pouring out of his mouth, and yelping,” Moloney recounted to the Australian broadcaster 7News.
Moloney bravely waded into the water to rescue his dog, whom the kangaroo had grasped from behind. In a video that quickly went viral, Moloney can be seen taking a swing at the kangaroo, which retaliated with a punch. Eventually, both Moloney and Hutchy safely reached the riverbank.
This bizarre encounter, which took place on October 12, is just the latest in a series of documented confrontations between kangaroos and pet dogs, where it appears the kangaroo is attempting to drown the dog. In 2020, a similar incident occurred when a small dog narrowly escaped a clash with a 5-foot-tall kangaroo in the Brisbane River in Queensland, as reported by 7News Sydney. Similarly, in 2014, a kangaroo tried to drown two staffies after they cornered it in a dam in New South Wales.
But what drives these marsupials to exhibit such behavior? According to Euan Ritchie, a professor of wildlife ecology and conservation at Deakin University in Australia, kangaroos perceive dogs as a threat because they closely resemble dingoes—the kangaroo’s native top predator.
“This behavior is one way that kangaroos have learned to survive attacks by dingoes, a native top predator they’ve coexisted with for many thousands of years,” Ritchie explained.
Dingoes, Australia’s largest land predators, genetically lie somewhere between a wolf and a modern domestic dog. It’s believed that humans brought the ancestors of modern dingoes to the mainland between 5,000 and 8,500 years ago, and these canines gradually adapted to a diet of marsupials and reptiles. In contrast, modern dogs were introduced to Australia much later, with the arrival of the first ships carrying British and Irish convicts in 1788.
Dingoes are known to hunt kangaroos in coordinated packs, employing tactics such as relay chasing to exhaust their prey. Once caught, dingoes typically aim to immobilize kangaroos by biting at their hind legs or directly targeting the neck.
In response to such threats, kangaroos have developed defensive strategies, including seeking refuge in bodies of water, which serves as a deterrent against both dingoes and domestic dogs. This instinctual behavior is a result of evolutionary adaptation, as explained by Graeme Coulson, an expert in kangaroo behavior and ecology.
Male eastern gray kangaroos, like the one encountered by Mick Moloney and his dog Hutchy, possess formidable strength and weaponry, weighing up to 150 pounds and equipped with powerful arms and sharp claws. In confrontations with dogs, kangaroos may resort to grappling and submerging the canine underwater in an attempt to neutralize the threat.
It’s worth noting that kangaroos can pose a danger to humans as well, particularly if provoked. Euan Ritchie advises dog owners to be cautious and ensure that kangaroos are not harassed or harmed, as they are capable of inflicting serious injuries with their powerful kicks or scratches. By respecting the wildlife and maintaining a safe distance, both dogs and their owners can avoid unnecessary confrontations.