Australian politician injured in kangaroo attack

(CNN) -- An Australian politician suffered gashes to one of his legs when a close encounter with a kangaroo during his morning jog turned violent.

Shane Rattenbury, a minister for the local government that manages the territory around the Australian capital, Canberra, said he bumped into the animal early Thursday as he was running along the side of a hedge in a suburban neighborhood.

"I didn't see the kangaroo, and it didn't see me," he said by phone on Friday. "It started hopping around, it was a bit panicked. I ducked for cover and ended up on the ground. The kangaroo jumped on me in its attempt to get away."

The claws on its powerful hind legs dug into the back of Rattenbury's left leg.

It then bounded away in the direction of a nearby nature reserve, leaving Rattenbury lying dazed in the street with deep cuts in his leg.

"Like most animals, when frightened, they'll lash out quite hard," he said.

Eastern Grey Kangaroos, the species he encountered, are common in the suburbs of Canberra, especially at this time of year when the dry weather brings them searching for grass and water on people's lawns.

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