A popular tourist spot in Australia is being struck with a pandemic of kangaroo attacks as tourists are getting mauled while trying to feed the animals. The problem has progressed to the point where national news is warning tourists of the dangers of feeding kangaroos.
Carrot-addicted kangaroos are savagely attacking tourists in Australia
This is no joke.
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
Shane Lewis, a tour bus driver who takes thousands of people each week to see the roos at Morisset Hospital, just outside Sydney, is saying a carrot and junk food addiction is to blame.
“The kangaroos see at least 2,000 tourists a week and they don’t need 2,000 carrots or bananas and bread, chips, and biscuits. I’ve even seen some silly people feeding them McDonalds, KFC, corn chips, oats and there are some foods they are very aggressive for.”
Lewis is trying to educate tourists on how dangerous the animals are, showing graphic photos of injuries he’s seen as a result of tourists feeding the roos. The most common are gashes to the face and stomach, a result of roos kicking people after becoming addicted to the food being given.
“There was a guy who got his stomach gashed open and he wasn’t even feeding them but … they’d been to McDonalds 10 minutes before, so whether they still had the food smell on them I have no idea, but for some reason the kangaroo took to him.”
Andrew Daly, a kangaroo expert at the Australian Reptile Park, explained to ABC News why carrots are so bad, and a likely source of so much aggression from the animals when they see one in a tourist’s hand.
“To a kangaroo a carrot is really, really high in sugar, so for us it’s quite healthy, but for a kangaroo it’s like having a chocolate bar.
Signs are being placed in the area to remind tourists how dangerous the animals can be, and asking them not to feed the wild animals.
