Video Shows Two Kangaroos Fighting Like WWE Wrestlers in a Video Game

Kangaroo boxing is not considered unusual behavior, for the most part—but two kangaroos at Australia's Mount Taylor Nature Reserve were caught in a fight that looked more like Mortal Kombat than Mike Tyson, and Internet can't stop talking about it. Here's what happened to the dueling kangaroos. 

Local man Julian Doak was taking a lunchtime walk through the reserve when he spotted the two kangaroos sparring energetically before one suddenly knocked the other clean through a metal fence like a WWE fighter. The triumphant kangaroo then stood for a moment observing the fallen 'roo, in true victor style. Keep reading to see the video.

Doak says he saw the kangaroos boxing and wanted to film the incident for friends and family. "The two 'roos were having a biffo in front of me, and I thought it'd be funny to get a video for family overseas, to show them an average Aussie slice of life," Doak is quoted as telling Storyful. "Little did I know that it would escalate rapidly with one pushed through a fence," he said. Doak told the outlet the "fallen 'roo was last seen bouncing down the road," so it clearly escaped unharmed.

Male kangaroos usually fight to establish dominance (so basically like every other male species on earth) and to win the right to mate with the female kangaroos. "Competition between males to mate with females can be fierce and can end in serious fighting," says Dr. Derek Spielman, a senior lecturer in veterinary pathology at the University of Sydney. "It can also cause severe harassment and even physical abuse of the target female, particularly when she is unresponsive or tries to get away from an amorous male."

Research from the University of Sydney shows that kangaroos are able to communicate with humans when they need something. In their experiment, a kangaroo needed help opening a container of food and looked to the humans for help. "Their gaze was pretty intense," says co-author Dr. Alexandra Green, a post-doctoral researcher in the Sydney School of Veterinary Science at University of Sydney. "We've previously thought only domesticated animals try to ask for help with a problem. But kangaroos do it too. If they can't open the box, they look at the human and back to the container. Some of them used their nose to nudge the human and some approached the human and started scratching at him asking for assistance."

Kangaroos don't usually attack humans, but can be aggressive if they feel threatened or are expecting food. "Kangaroos and wallabies that are used to being fed can approach people expecting food," according to the Queensland Government Department of Environment and Science. "When there is no food, they may become aggressive. Today, people rarely live in close contact with large wildlife. As a result, we have lost much of our wariness and first-hand knowledge of these animals and how they live. This means we can get too close to kangaroos and wallabies without thinking about the consequences. For kangaroos and wallabies living on the bushland fringe of a suburban area, a human may be seen as little more than a large animal living in its habitat – and one that they may occasionally need to defend themselves against."

Watch the video here.