Letter

MJA 2001; 175: 672
 

I wish to report two patients who presented to the emergency department with multiple injuries caused by a single kangaroo.

Although there have been previous reports of kangaroos causing injury, this is usually in the passive capacity as an immovable obstruction to a moving vehicle.¹ I do not believe there have been any reports of a single kangaroo causing injury to two people at the same time by actively inflicting injury, resulting in a need for hospital treatment.

Patient 1: A 32-year-old man intervened in a fight between his dog and a grey kangaroo. The dog escaped, but the kangaroo then turned on the man, inflicting several deep abrasions to his chest, trunk and back, and a bite to his left forearm. X-rays revealed no underlying fractures, and the skin abrasions were treated conservatively.

Prophylactic antibiotics and a tetanus booster were administered, and the patient was discharged.

Patient 2: While driving past, a 50-year-old man saw the attack described above. He stopped to assist, and grabbed the tail of the kangaroo to distract its attention. The man was thrown to the ground, and sustained bruising to the right shoulder and upper arm. X-rays revealed no fracture, but the arm was immobilised in a sling for symptomatic relief of pain.

The kangaroo escaped without injury.

These two cases should serve as a warning that intervening in fights between animals poses the risk of injury, and that one kangaroo is easily capable of injuring two humans at the same time. Caution is required if approaching these animals in the wild.

Alan E O'Connor
Emergency Physician, Emergency Department, The Canberra Hospital, Yamba Drive, Woden, ACT 2606
Alan.O'ConnorATact.gov.au

1. Whittle IR. Beware of boomerangs and kangaroos. Med J Aust 1980; 2: 347.

©MJA 2001
Make a comment