Female jogger bloodied and bruised after kangaroo attack

A Sale woman, attacked by a rogue kangaroo while on her morning run, remembers only its enormous, muscled chest and eyes before being knocked unconscious.

Joanna Mactier after the attack.

A woman attacked by a rogue kangaroo while on her morning run remembers only its enormous, muscled chest and eyes in front of her, before being knocked unconscious.

Swim teacher Joanna Mactier said the “massive” male roo was as tall as herself and had “a chest the size of two State of Origin rugby league players”.

The 44-year-old mum was yesterday morning on her regular jog through a pine plantation just 10 minutes out of Sale when the grey kangaroo came bounding out of the trees and knocked her down.

“It came out of the trees — just flying at me. Then it was just right next to me and just knocked me out,” Ms Mactier said.

“It came so quickly I didn’t have time to think about anything. When I came to, all I could remember was its huge chest and eyes. It was massive.”

Joanna Mactier in hospital.

She was treated for cuts and bruises.

Ms Mactier said when she regained consciousness the kangaroo was gone, and she managed to make her way to a motorbike rider who helped her to her car.

She then drove herself to Central Gippsland Hospital where she had X-rays and was treated for cuts and bruises.

Speaking to the Sunday Herald Sun from her hospital bed, Ms Mactier said the kangaroo was not with a mob, leading her to believe it may have been a rogue male.

She said she was not sure what happened after she lost consciousness but woke to find her face scratched, swollen, bloodied and bruised.

“I have heard, that when it comes to kangaroos, you’re actually better off being on the ground, so I was probably lucky I was knocked out,” Ms Mactier said.

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She was fortunate to escape broken bones and major injuries but had been monitored in hospital as a precaution for several hours, and given a tetanus shot and antibiotics.

Hospital staff had cheekily nicknamed Ms Mactier “Joey”.

“I don’t think I’ll be going out there to run again,” Ms Mactier said.

A female jogger was injured by a kangaroo in Templestowe in January 2017 and a woman was also attacked in Berwick in May this year.

Wildlife experts say kangaroo attacks on people are rare.

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