A Perth wildlife park has spoken out after a TikTok video of a US tourist fighting a kangaroo went viral.
Earlier this week, a TikToker named Brooke (@brooke.so.hip) shared a cooked video of what appeared to be her father literally fist fighting one of Australia’s most recognisable native animals at Cohunu Koala Park in Perth.
According to Brooke, the fight started because her dad wanted to protect a woman after the kangaroo started “getting frisky”.
In the video, the roo can be seen trying to grab the woman before Brooke’s father used his body as a divider. This obviously riled up the Aussie marsupial.
“Here’s your chance to fight a kangaroo,” a woman said from behind the camera.
Brooke’s dad attempted to make space between him and the roo by using the length of his arms and his legs. After it was quite clear that they were going to have a proper scrap, another young bloke joined Brooke’s dad to help deter the animal away.
Unfortunately for them, a two v one fight did not scare the kangaroo. It continued to use its tail to do its signature kicks and the two men continued to use their arms and knees to fight back.
Throughout the video Brooke’s dad can be seen grabbing the kangaroo’s neck, forcing it turn around — which was honestly quite disturbing.
The fighting only stopped when a female wildlife park worker jumped in and scolded the animal like a toddler.
“Cut it out, cut it out, naughty boy,” the staff member said as she waved her finger at the Aussie icon.
A spokesperson from the Cohunu Koala Park told PerthNow the kangaroo was “just being playful”.
“Sometimes the kangaroos act like that, but they are really just playing … it’s a natural thing,” they said.
“The more you encourage them, the more they will react.”
The wildlife park allows “animals to roam freely, unlike a zoo” which is why the kangaroo was able to fight the tourists.
Brooke’s video has since gone viral, clocking more than 15.7 million views on TikTok. Many people have shared their thoughts on the scrap, with some folks mentioning that the other animals in the sanctuary were “egging on” the roo to fight.
One person wrote: “Not the birds back there placing bets”.
“That’s the drunk guy at the bar who doesn’t take a NO for an answer,” another person said.
According to the Queensland Government, if you feel threatened by a kangaroo:
- Move away slowly.
- Do not turn your back on the animal.
- Give a short, deep cough. Avoid eye contact and keep your arms close to your body.
If you are attacked, it’s recommend that you “curl up into a ball” and “try and remain calm” while the animal kick boxes the shit out of you.
I honestly think the video is quite confronting, especially with the way the tourist manhandled the animal. The fight literally lasted for two minutes and honestly you’d think a staff member would be there faster than that.
Brooke hasn’t uploaded any updates about the roo or her dad. The Cohunu Koala Park hasn’t shared any updates about the kangaroo in the video.
