Roo attack sparks cull call
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A New South Wales council will be asked to support a kangaroo cull in western Mudgee, in the state's central west, after a 65-year-old woman was attacked by a kangaroo and rescued by a dog.
Rosemary Neal was knocked over and savaged by a kangaroo on her farm near Mudgee while tending to her horses on Friday.
Her son, Darren, says his dog chased away the kangaroo, which he estimates was up to two metres tall.
"The kangaroo has just jumped up and launched straight at her. He hit her once and she just dropped and rolled," he said.
"My dog heard her screaming and bolted down and chased him off. If it wasn't for the dog, she'd probably be dead."
Ms Neal was taken to hospital after the attack on Friday.
"Her face has been ripped apart, her hand has been mauled and she's got scratches all over her back and concussion," her son said on Saturday.
The Mayor of the local Midwestern Regional Council, Percy Thompson, says action needs to be taken to reduce the large number of kangaroos in residential areas.
"These kangaroos are actually starving and so we certainly need to do a humane culling program. Otherwise, we've got to start to feed these kangaroos," he said.
"There's too many of them in the west and south-west of Mudgee and with the dry times, they're coming into people's yards and we can't afford to have people being attacked."
Mr Neal says the region has been overrun by kangaroos in recent years.
"The whole town has been complaining about these kangaroos - you can't drive down the street without swerving to miss them," he said.
