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A 77-year-old man in rural Western Australia tragically died after being mauled by his own pet kangaroo, which then prevented emergency responders from reaching him.
Peter Eades, an alpaca breeder from Redmond, was found with serious injuries on his property by a family member in 2022, who quickly called the police. When authorities arrived, they determined that a kangaroo-still present and acting aggressively-had likely attacked Eades earlier that day.
The kangaroo’s hostile behavior made it impossible for paramedics to approach. The animal stood guard over the injured man and lunged at anyone who tried to get close.
Due to the danger posed to emergency personnel, officers were forced to shoot and kill the kangaroo before attending to Eades. Unfortunately, by the time paramedics could begin medical treatment, Eades had already died at the scene.
Further investigation revealed that Eades had been keeping the kangaroo as a pet, which is illegal under strict regulations in the region governing native wildlife. A representative from the local Native Animal Rescue service explained that permits to keep kangaroos are extremely rare, as adult kangaroos can become very dangerous in captivity.
“We don’t know the full circumstances-whether he was in pain or the reasons behind keeping the animal-but kangaroos are wild, not domesticated, animals,” said Tanya Irwin.
The kangaroo involved was a gray kangaroo, a species common across southwestern Australia. These animals can weigh up to 119 pounds and reach heights of over four feet. Male gray kangaroos are known to be particularly aggressive when threatened, using their powerful limbs, muscular tails, and sharp claws to defend themselves.
This incident marks the first recorded fatal kangaroo attack in Australia since 1936, when a man in New South Wales died from injuries sustained while defending his dogs from a kangaroo. Despite these rare cases, kangaroo attacks on humans remain exceptionally uncommon worldwide.