A South Australian man has filmed three wedge-tailed eagles chasing down a kangaroo in an extremely rare attack.
The video, filmed last week at Mokota Conservation Park, shows the roo standing on its hind legs and raising its paws in the air as if ready to box the birds of prey.
The eagles swoop several times on the kangaroo as it attempts to hop out of their lines of attack in the park's open tussock grasslands.
Norm Boege was working at the park when he spotted the hovering eagles and pulled his camera out.
"There were some kangaroos that had been hopping around the place for a while and there were a group of about to eight to 10 eagles," Mr Boege said.
The Wirrabara resident said it was clear the eagles "wouldn't have had a chance" at taking down the kangaroo, despite their persistence.
"It would have been way too big for them, it would have been at least a five-footer [150cm]," he said.
Tassin Barnard, the general manager at the Australian Wildlife Walkabout Park, told ninemsn she had heard of such attacks on kangaroos but they were extremely rare.
"Normally in that type of situation when birds attack kangaroos, it is because they are feeling threatened or they have babies nearby," Ms Barnard said.
"What is almost certainly happening is that the birds are defending, or believe their babies are under attack."
It is unlikely the kangaroos were looking for the nest of the eagles but probably chanced upon it when foraging for food nearby, she added.
Kangaroos are not easily deterred and will fight back by boxing, kicking and biting their opponents.
"All animals have such a strong instinct to protect their babies," Ms Barnard said.
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