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A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD Orange girl had a lucky escape on the weekend following a kangaroo attack near Cowra which left her covered in large scratches and bruises. On a family holiday at Wyangala Dam, the unprovoked attack at 6pm on New Year’s Day left Makayla McEvoy pinned down by a rogue kangaroo as she fought for her life. Makayla received extensive scratches and bruising to her face, arms, back and legs following the attack which left her in hospital. Mother Emma McGovern said she “just froze with fear” at the terrifying sight of her daughter being attacked by the wild animal. “As I turned around I just saw it and it didn’t register straight away what happened,” she said. “She didn’t make a sound or scream,” Mrs McGovern said of her daughter as the large animal ripped into her daughter’s skin. It was step-father Mitch McGovern along with other holiday makers who came to the rescue of young Makayla. “I ran down, it was on top of Makayla and just kicked the kangaroo,” he said. However he said it then tried to attack him, “I kicked it about five metres and it growled and just kept jumping back”. “It just grunted at me and wouldn’t get off me,” he said. Mrs McGovern said Makayla and a few other children were standing about 10 metres away from where the kangaroos were feeding when the attack happened. A terrified Makayla was rushed to Cowra Hospital following the attack and was later released the same day with superficial injuries. “Makayla said all I could see was just grey and grey and it wouldn’t get off me,” Mrs McGovern said. She said the family holidays at the popular camp site each year and there are always kangaroos in and around the campground, however this year they were in greater numbers. A complaint was made to Wyangala Waters State Park by the family, however they were told “they are wild animals and they should be treated as such”. WIRES (NSW Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service Inc) Central West large mammals coordinator Kimberley Parker said it is very out of character for a kangaroo to attack a person. “I’m just gobsmacked ... they should have jumped away, they’re more scared of us,” she said. Based on the parents’ description, Mrs Parker said the animal could have either been a juvenile eastern grey kangaroo or a wallaroo. “Their instinct is to flee ... she’s been extremely unlucky, it’s not in their behaviour to attack.” Mrs Parker said a full-grown eastern grey kangaroo could kill a person, “ultimately they’re still a wild animal”. Wyangla Waters State Park manager Russell McLeod was contacted by the Central Western Daily but declined to comment. nadine.morton@ruralpress.com

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