A zoo worker who punched a kangaroo in a video viewed millions of times will not be sacked despite calls for action against him from animal activist groups.

Taronga Western Plains zoo said there was “no suggestion” Greig Tonkins’s position as an elephant keeper would be terminated following the publication of vision in which he struck a kangaroo that attacked his dog while on a pig hunting trip.



On Monday the zoo in Dubbo, in the central west of New South Wales, pledged to “consider any appropriate action” after the video surfaced, but on Tuesday said it had been “inundated with concern” for the 34-year-old employee.

“Mr Tonkins is an experienced zookeeper and during his six years at Taronga Western Plains Zoo has always followed Taronga’s best practice approach to animal care and welfare,” it said in a statement.

“We continue to work with Mr Tonkins on his conduct in regards to this incident.”

The zoo said it was strongly opposed to humans striking animals, and to the practice of using dogs to hunt. It said Tonkins was not available for comment.

By Tuesday morning the video had been viewed more than 3m times on various video hosting platforms, and featured on CNN’s global news coverage.

It shows Tonkins leaping from a white vehicle towards the kangaroo, which is holding the dog by the chest and neck.

“The big buck actually has a hold of the dog, not the other way around,” the narrator says.

After the dog escapes from the kangaroo Tonkins shapes up in a conventional boxing stance, throwing a right-cross that appears to leave the kangaroo stunned. The commentary says he did so “to save himself”, suggesting the man could otherwise have been the “next victim”.

The Humane Society International Australia said Tonkins should have been shown the door by the zoo.

“It is very disturbing of someone of this character has a position there they would have no trouble filling it with someone who respects animals,” Verna Simpson, a director at the animal welfare organisation, told Guardian Australia.

“We are over rescuing circus elephants in India and we can’t even look after our own species here,” she said, expressing dismay that Tonkins’ action had received acclaim at home and attention abroad.

The campaign coordinator of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Claire Fryer, told Australian Regional Media that “punching a kangaroos in the face is neither brave nor funny”, but was in fact illegal.

“The man in this video should be prosecuted instead of being made out to be a national hero,” she said.

The internet is littered with videos of humans boxing with kangaroos, including a pantomime bout with a heavyweight champion in the 1930s and Woody Allen taking to the ring in a mid-1960s comedy skit.

“They used to take them to the United States in droves, it was a shocking thing,” Simpson said. “We are opposed to animals in entertainment across the board because for animals to perform there has always been cruelty.”