Man fights off kangaroo to save his dog from being drowned in viral video

Many people will do anything to protect their beloved pets, even if it means putting themselves in harm’s way. We’ve seen many stories of people taking on large and dangerous animals to save their pets from being attacked.

Recently, one such incident went viral online, as one man faced off with a large kangaroo to save his dog from drowning.

Mick Moloney, from Mildura, Australia, was out for a walk by the river when he suddenly realized his dog Hitchy was gone.

Moloney looked around and realized that his dog was in the river — with a large, muscular kangaroo holding him down in the water.

“I saw a kangaroo … with his arms in the water, basically just staring at me,” Moloney recalled to Sunrise. “Next thing you know, Hutchy came up gasping for air, water spilling out of his mouth and screaming his head off.”

Kangaroos are large, powerful animals. They are herbivores so they don’t attack prey, however they will use their formidable strength to defend themselves if they feel threatened — including by drowning other animals.

“There’s a very strong instinct — kangaroos will go to water if they’re threatened by a predator,” Graeme Coulson, a kangaroo ecologist from the University of Melbourne, told ABC News. “In the case of a big male, they can definitely drown dogs. If the dog swims out to them, they’ve got strong arms and big claws and they can drown [the dog].”

Realizing his dog’s life was in danger, Moloney jumped into action. He tried to scare the kangaroo off, but when that failed he had to fight the animal off to get Hitchy free.

“Let go of my dog,” he tells the kangaroo.

Kangaroo attacks on humans are rare, but claws and muscular arms and legs, they are formidable opponents. Video shows Moloney taking a swing at the kangaroo, and the animal responding with his own mighty punch, knocking him over.

But the confrontation worked: Moloney got his dog free, and they escaped to the shore, with the kangaroo staying in the water. Moloney had a few scratches and a sore forearm but was otherwise unharmed. Seemingly unfazed by the ordeal, Moloney says he has no plans to change their favorite walking route.

The whole incident was caught on remarkable video footage that has gone viral online, with many people praising the man for protecting his dog.

Watch the video below:

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