A golf course sign warning visitors what to do if they come across a threatening kangaroo had some Aussies in fits of giggles over its “aggressive choice of words”. However, experts say there is a very good reason for the strong messaging.

The large white sign erected at The Vintage golf resort in the Hunter Valley, a popular tourist destination, urges people to keep their distance if they encounter one of the many Eastern Grey roos regularly seen in the area.

“If you feel threatened by a kangaroo retreat in a crouched or crawling position to a safe distance,” the sign says. “If you are under attack, drop to the ground and curl up into a ball with your hands protecting your face and throat.”

Surprised by the stern advice, one woman who took an image of the sign and sent it to her child, who then posted it online — attracting the attention of thousands.

“I cannot stop laughing at this sign,” they said in the caption. “I feel bad but ‘protect your throat’ is such an aggressive choice of words.

“For the record, [my mum’s] a good country girl from Cooma who grew up bottle feeding orphaned joeys on the farm. You just know they’ve put this sign up after some incidents.”

Aussies say ‘aggressive’ kangaroo advice is nothing new

Many Aussies were quick to remind the Reddit user the golf course’s “directness” was probably necessary due to the number of overseas tourists who travel to the area. Others pointed out the recommendation of protecting your vital organs and neck during a kangaroo attack is nothing new.

“It’s an aggressive choice of words because the kangaroo generally has an aggressive choice of clawing the f*** out of your throat,” one person commented. “We were taught this in school alongside ‘shake your gum boots out before you shove your feet in, dumbass’,” another said.

The sign’s wording is taken directly from the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage’s official advice.

Boy, 12, left with brutal injuries after roo attack

Last week, a 12-year-old Melbourne boy used the technique when he was pinned down by a large male roo after leaving his home to go to school. Phoenix tried to outrun the animal but fell over and was clawed, scratched and kicked for about two minutes, his mum Sarah Doherty told 9News.

“He said ‘I just got into a ball’. He was screaming out,” she said. A neighbour eventually heard the boy’s cries and helped scare off the roo. Phoenix suffered severe injuries in the brutal attack and underwent surgery to repair deep gashes on his legs and head.

Why should you protect your face and throat during a kangaroo attack?

It is generally unusual for kangaroos to attack people, Associate Professor Catherine Herbert from the University of Sydney told Yahoo News Australia, with the animals typically retreating or fleeing if they feel threatened.

“They may ‘rear-up’ or respond in an aggressive way towards people in rare circumstances, especially if they feel cornered,” she said, adding that a ‘rear-up’ kick from a roo could “result in traumatic abrasions from claws” or blunt force trauma. The animal may also advance with their forearms spread wide.

“If a person feels threatened by a kangaroo, their first response should always be to calmly retreat and provide the animal with enough space and access to escape routes, if possible. But, on rare occasions, this may not be possible,” Professor Herbert said, explaining the “logic of rolling into a ball and protecting your face and throat is to minimise potential damage to vulnerable parts of your body”.

“Being in a ‘ball’ offers the most protection for your vital organs, as they are more likely to be damaged from a traumatic injury to your belly,” she said.

“But being in a ball doesn’t necessarily protect other vulnerable areas like your face and throat. Hence the additional recommendation to cover, and therefore protect, these vulnerable body regions with your arms.”

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