Kangaroo fight footage holds deeper story

  • 05/12/2016

The startling footage of an Australian man punching a kangaroo has a touching story behind it.

The unusual clip, which saw the man hit the rogue roo after it attacked his dog, quickly went viral and propelled the man at the centre Greig 'Goo' Tonkins  to internet stardom.

Now, one of his friends has revealed some of the background behind how this bizarre footage came to be.

Matthew Amor says the hunting trip during which the footage was taken was organised for a friend of theirs, who only last week died of cancer.

Kailem, whose surname is unknown, had been fighting a rare bone cancer and had told his mates he had a burning desire to hunt and catch a boar.

As a result, the trip was organised and in June of this year, Mr Amor, Kailem, Mr Tonkins and a group of others went hunting in Euabalong, New South Wales.

Mr Amor says that while his hunting dogs were on the trail of a wild boar, they became caught up in a group of about 20 kangaroos.

One of them reached and grabbed dog 'Max', putting him in a headlock.

Mr Amor says that Mr Tonkins stepped forward, not only into the ensuing fight, but straight into internet celebrity.

"Kailem would be looking down from up there [heaven] and laughing," Mr Amor said.

Mr Amor says following his rise to fame, Mr Tonkins has gone underground.

"It was funny because [Mr Tonkins] is the most placid bloke. We laughed at him for chucking such a s**t punch," Mr Amor told news.com.au.

Kailem, who died last week from his condition, had just days earlier married his girlfriend Brandi-Lee.

Newshub.