If you do have an accident with a kangaroo please pull over safely. When you have checked everyone in the car is safe, put your hazard lights on, and give us a call. Even if the kangaroo appears okay and jumps away it will probably be injured and need assistance.
Do not attempt to catch it. Keep any pets away to avoid stress to the kangaroo. Ensure you are not in danger of being hit by traffic. Contact the Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service (WIRES) or the local wildlife rescue organisation and let them know the situation and the location.
If you have hit a kangaroo or any other animal, the first thing to do is pull over if it is safe to stop on the road. Once you have pulled over and ensured the safety of everybody in the car (call 000 for medical help), the next step is to check on the animal to confirm whether it's alive or needs any assistance.
“If you encounter an injured kangaroo, it's best to contact the local wildlife rescue organisation or police station who can talk you through what to do.” Once you're safe and able, contact your insurer if you need to make a claim, he says.
In case a kangaroo inevitably jumps in front of your vehicle, it is best to just brake heavily instead of trying to swerve to avoid them. The best advice is to just slow down and try braking in a straight line. You should only try swerving once your vehicle has slowed down sufficiently.
Report injured wildlife – call WIRES on 1300 094 737 or use the IFAW Wildlife rescue app to find a suitable wildlife rescue organisation for your location.
A kangaroo collision can cause many different types of damage to your vehicle. These could be as relatively insignificant as a smashed headlight or cracked bumper, to a serious head-on collision that results in a crumpled-up bonnet and internal damage, potentially with your engine.
Ordinarily, it is illegal to kill, buy, sell or possess a kangaroo in Australia. However, in response to the growing kangaroo population, the Australian government permits licence holders to 'cull' or shoot kangaroos.
In the wild, a kangaroo will try to grasp their prey and then tear into it with the claws on its feet. This will inflict devastating wounds on a human being or even disembowel them. Without weapons and armor, humans are fragile to these wild animals.
Kangaroos are getting into the most trouble on the roads, with 7,992 kangaroo collision AAMI claims in the recorded year between March 2018 and February 2019. Roos made up a whopping 83% of all animal collisions. Wallabies were next with 392 collisions.
Car insurance can cover hitting a kangaroo or other animal in Australia. It's considered an at-fault accident so you might lose your no claims bonus and you will probably have to pay an excess too. However, depending on the severity of the damage, it could be worth it.
Report the incident
Contact RSPCA ACT 02 6287 8100 (during business hours), or WIRES (NSW Wildlife Information and Rescue Education Service) on 1300 094 737.
Big claws on the feet, and huge muscles in the legs ensure that the kick is painful and damaging. Male kangaroos have thickened skin around their bellies to protect themselves from this, and they can take hundreds of kicks in the course of a fight. A few kicks like this would be sufficient to disembowel a human.
AAMI Comprehensive Car Insurance may cover damage to your car in the event of a collision with animals and wildlife, such as kangaroos, wallabies and more, if the collision wasn't intentional. You will be insured up to the amount covered of your car, as listed on your Certificate of Insurance.
Unfortunately, wildlife collisions are pretty common in Australia. For example, in NSW, one in every 41 casualty crashes on a country road involves an animal collision1. Luckily, Bingle Comprehensive Car Insurance can cover your vehicle if it's damaged in a collision with an animal.
In a battle royale for Most Powerful Animal, a red kangaroo might take the martial-arts belt, thanks to a bone-shattering kick that delivers 759 pounds of force. Evolution has nudged wild creatures to hone their blows, bites, and brute strength for survival.
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.
In fact, a red kangaroo can deliver an incredible 759 pounds of force with a single kick! As well as being able to inflict serious damage with their kicks, buff kangaroos have been known to crush metal with their bare hands, which is seriously impressive. They also have a punch force of about 275 pounds.
All Victorian kangaroo species are protected under the Wildlife Act. It is an offence to hunt, take or destroy protected wildlife unless in accordance with a licence or authorisation issued under the Wildlife Act.
Harming (killing, injuring or capturing) kangaroos in New South Wales without a licence is illegal.
Kangaroos possess powerful hind legs, a long, strong tail, and small front legs. Kangaroos belong to the animal family Macropus, literally "big foot." Thanks to their large feet, kangaroos can leap some 30 feet (9 meters) in a single bound, and travel more than 30 miles (48 kilometers) per hour.
Kangaroo Fact One
These powerful legs not only allow them to cover great distances, but also give them speed, reaching up to 60 km/h, faster than a car travels in the city.
Ian Temby, who spent 33 years with the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, said kangaroo attacks are rare, but could be fatal in some circumstances. "If you're standing up, the kangaroo can kick you with its hind feet and that can pretty much rip you open," he said. "That's extremely dangerous."