Animal aggression reports becoming more common

July 28, 2011 –  QUEENSLAND – A Kooralbyn family say they are prisoners in their own home ever since a rampaging wallaby moved into the neighborhood. Julie Bambrick said an unusually aggressive pretty-faced wallaby – dubbed Wacker by the family – had terrorized her 11-year-old grandson Reece, bowled over her husband Virgil and bit him on the face, and hissed, snarled and scratched at her whenever she ventured into her garden. She said the family had been attacked while putting the rubbish out, going to the car and even just stepping out the front door. “I’m scared to go outside,” Ms Bambrick said. “I won’t go out into the garden because I’m terrified this crazy wallaby is going to come and have another go. The kids won’t go out and play because they’re too frightened.” Ms Bambrick, who has lived in the area for nine years, said Wacker first attacked. Reece in March and now seemed to keep a constant watch on her Edward Place home. “It just sits outside the house and eye-balls us,” she said. “It’s a big one up to my chest in height and we’re all terrified of it. My biggest fear is it could really hurt a child and there are plenty of children along this street.” Ms Bambrick said she kept a star-picket, a pitchfork and a crowbar at the front and back doors in case the wallaby attacked. She even contacted the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, which told her to fill a water gun with dye to try to mark the problem animal but even that had proven challenging. “It didn’t work. It started attacking me and I had to try and defend myself by beating it away with the water gun.” Ms Bambrick said Reece had been bailed up more than once in the backyard. “It’s just awful,” she said. We’re prisoners in our own home.” A Department of Environment and Resource Management spokesman said it was aware of the attacks by the wallaby. “Kangaroos and wallabies that are used to being fed can approach people expecting food,” he said. “When there is no food, they may become aggressive. For kangaroos and wallabies living on the bushland fringe of a suburban area, a human may be seen as little more than a large animal living in its habitat  and one that they may need to defend against.” –News.com.au

Queensland: Last weekend, “Eddie,” a red kangaroo, escaped from his enclosure on Sunday and went on a rampage through Phyllis Johnson’s yard in Charleville in western Queensland, knocking her to the ground and repeatedly kicking her. –Courier.com

California:  A few days ago, a Laguna Woods woman was attacked by two coyotes, who carried her little Yorkie away with them. The woman was knocked down at Via Alhambra at Alta Via about 10 a.m. by one of the two coyotes, who then ran off with her dog, Laguna police Lt. Jason Kravetz said. Laguna police handle most animal-related duties in the retirement enclave. “They’re pretty brazen, running around the neighborhood,” Kravetz said. The woman was treated by Orange County Fire Authority paramedics for minor injuries. If confronted, people should stand tall, shout and wave something over their heads if possible. –Contra Costa Rica

Colorado: “I thought I would stay still. The bear shouldn’t attack me, that’s what everybody says.” But the bear did attack the teen, biting him several times. Once, deeply above his knee. The bear, a 200 pound Black Bear also scratched the teen before ripping at his pajama leg. The cloth came free and the bear retreated enough to put some distance between the two. Voss said the bear was acting territorially aggressive. His cousin decided that it was time to escape and ran out of the tent. Fatefully, the bear chased his cousin and left him alone. In the meantime, other campers woke up and people began to yell “bear”. He believes that this startled the bear and it left. –KJCT8

contribution by Gen

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