Tourists warned about feeding kangaroos after spate of attacks
A SPATE of attacks by massive kangaroos on tourists north of Sydney, with one needing 17 stitches in their face, has sparked a warning from a local MP of the dangers of the iconic animal.
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GRAPHIC WARNING
A SPATE of attacks by massive kangaroos on tourists north of Sydney, with one needing 17 stitches in their face, has sparked a warning from a local MP of the dangers of the iconic animal.
A video, released by Lake Macquarie MP Greg Piper, contains graphic photos of scars inflicted by kangaroos’ sharp claws.
“We’re not wanting to overstate the risk here, but people have been attacked, they have been injured,” Mr Piper says in the video.
“They will literally come to you looking for food.
“This behaviour can actually lead to aggression, particularly from male kangaroos.
“What many tourists seem to overlook, is that these are wild animals and they’re equipped with long sharp claws and they do actually injure people from time to time.
“They can grab and most concerningly they can deliver a powerful kick.”
Thousands of tourists flock to the site south of Newcastle every week where the kangaroos converge.
The site is in the grounds of a local mental institution
Owner of Kroosn Shuttle Service, which takes tourists to the site, Shane Lewis said he saw one tourist who required 17 stitches to the face after an attack.
“We have seen a lot of people get injured through feeding the kangaroos, they’ve been kicked, scratched, one person even got 17 stitches in their face.”
“One guy even left here in an ambulance, where his whole stomach got cut from side to side.”
The MP said not to feed the kangaroos, especially processed food.
He is calling for multilingual signage and a co-ordinated response to address some of the issues.