Many people imagine cute, bouncy, downright adorable animals when they think of kangaroos. The marsupials are also a national symbol for the Australian people who frequently encounter these animals. However, not many people know that for all their cuteness, kangaroos are strong and can be dangerous if they feel threatened.
One resident in Mildura, Australia, Mick Moloney, had an encounter with a kangaroo that had many people applauding his bravery. Moloney could have lost his life, but he couldn’t care less when he realized he needed to step in and save his dog from getting drowned.
Moloney was on a walk with his dogs and was stretching by a log near the Murray River when he observed that one of his Akitas, Hatchi, was missing.
“I looked in (towards the river) and behind these reeds I could just see this massive kangaroo … standing there with his arms actually in the water just staring at me,” he told ABC Radio Melbourne.
Fifteen seconds later, his dog surfaced from under the water, but it was in a headlock with the kangaroo. Moloney saw that his pet was distressed and could die soon if nothing was done, so he made a loud noise to scare the animal so it would release Hatchi, but it didn’t work. He then decided to get in the water. However, he had some reservations because the kangaroo was a giant.
“The muscles on this thing, I was like, ‘this thing’s just got out of jail’ or something … it was jacked,” the mixed martial arts and Brazilian jiu-jitsu teacher joked.
In a story published on Oct. 16, 2023, Moloney and the kangaroo fought, but he successfully saved his dog in the incident, which reportedly occurred the previous weekend. Keep reading to know how it happened
Be sure to reach the end of this article to see the full video
Moloney knew the incident would be unbelievable, so he recorded his tussle with the marsupial. He stepped into the river in a now-viral video with millions of views and shares on social media. A TikTok video corroborated Moloney’s story in the article uploaded on Oct. 16, 2023.
“The kangaroo basically looked like it was about to kick the legs out at me and I splashed some water in its face and tried to take off and it had another go at me as I was leaving,” the dog parent said.
Thankfully, the kangaroo’s punch seemed to miss Moloney, although he got scratched a bit. Lisa Palma, CEO of Wildlife Victoria, believed the kangaroo probably entered the river to escape from the dog that had likely chased it. Moloney echoed her sentiments when he said his dog must have cornered the kangaroo on the river bank and was subsequently dragged underwater.
“The normal response of a kangaroo when chased by a perceived predator is to flee in fright,” Palma told ABC Radio Melbourne. “Kangaroos are wild animals and as such will view human beings, and dogs, as predators.”
The CEO advised dog owners to keep their pets on a leash in places where kangaroos were known to frequent. She also warned that people shouldn’t approach kangaroos.
Moloney reported that his dog was fine but insisted on taking the same route for their walks. He also revealed that he got messages from people who found the situation humorous but clarified that he did not intend to be vicious with the kangaroo as he loves animals.
“My tussling with roo days are pretty much done though, ’cause that thing was strong,” the martial arts instructor said.
https://youtu.be/A-aDgAeewuo?si=27LvwVfFbSGgecUM
What do you think of Mick Moloney’s venture into the river? Would you do the same to rescue your dog? Let us know — and be sure to pass this on to friends and family.
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