A South Carolina zoo worker has tragically died after running afoul of an animal you probably wouldn't expect. No, it's not a lion or a bear or even an alligator. Instead, a kangaroo killed the zoo worker.
Apparently, the animal beat the zoo worker, who was the brother of the owner, to death. Reportedly, the man went into the animal's pen for a bit of roughhouse fun. But he found that those Aussies don't play around. The animal proceeded to beat the zoo worker to death. Later, fellow workers at the petting zoo stumbled across the body of Eric Slate.
They discovered his body near midnight on Friday at 5-Star Farm in South Carolina. Apparently, it's not the first time that Slate had play fought the animal. He had a history of roughhousing the anima. But as local council member Mark Causey told News13, "It just went south."
Authorities found that he died from "multiple blunt force injuries." Kangaroos aren't anything to trifle with. They can weigh up to 200 pounds and have powerful blows and kicks. Owner Robert Slate wrote in a Facebook post mourned the loss of zoo worker and brother.
Zoo Worker Killed
"Please keep my family in your thoughts and prayers," he said.
Meanwhile, Causey said that the kangaroo won't be euthanized. It's not considered aggressive. Instead, the zoo will come under investigation to make sure it is safe and that it's animals are okay.
"It's not an aggressive animal. It's very sad... It was not the animal's fault," he said.
Too bad, the zoo worker didn't read this report from The University Of Melbourne. It reads, "As males grow, their body proportions also change, giving them huge shoulders, long arms and sharp claws. Their feet grow less in relative terms, but are still formidable, with a long, sharp nail at the tip."
It continues, "Male kangaroos use these features as weapons in male-male combat, as they kick, claw and wrestle each other in fights for dominance. Most fighting takes the form of ritualised, almost gentlemanly bouts as they hone their skills and learn their place in the hierarchy."
So what should you do if attacked?
Well, the university has an answer for that as well. It says, "If a kangaroo attacks, keep an eye on it and get away as quickly as possible while keeping low in a crouch, because the kangaroo is less likely to give chase. If the attack persists and you can't escape, drop down low, curl into a ball, protect your head with your arms and call for help."
