By Heather McNeill
The story behind the viral footage of a man punching a kangaroo after it had his dog in a head-lock has been revealed.
The video went viral on Sunday but its origins were unknown, with an American man posting the footage to his Facebook on Saturday, only commenting it was sent to him from his "buddy in Australia".
The video showing a man punching a kangaroo after it attacked his dog went viral. Credit: Facebook / Greg Bloom
It has since been revealed the footage was shot in June at a rural property in Condobolin, New South Wales and was, according to attendee Matthew Amor, part of a hunting trip organised for a 19-year-old man who was dying of cancer.
Kailem Barwick, who lost his battle with sarcoma on December 2, loved hunting and had a dream to catch a 'one tonner' [100 kilogram] boar.
Kailem Barwick (third from left) during the hunting trip with Greig Tonkins (centre). Credit: Facebook
"This DVD trip was made and put together for a sick young man who has recently passed away... it was a memory and part of the trip and gave us a great laugh after," Mr Amor said on Sunday.
The man who punched the kangaroo is zookeeper, Greig Tonkins, who is a member of the Australian Pig Doggers and Hunters Association and was taking part in the hunting trip.
Mr Barwick thanked Mr Tonkins and the group for the trip in a heartfelt post in June.
"I just wanted this opportunity to express my gratitude for the kindness of strangers to help me with a dream I have in catching a tonner boar with my dogs," he wrote.
Dog 'Max' tries to escape the kangaroo's grip. Credit: Facebook / Greg Bloom
"It wasn't long before I met up with a real good bunch of blokes a young fella like myself could ever ask for. They came from all over the country side.
"Grieg Tonks from my home town of Dubbo."
Kailem Barwick during the hunting trip. Credit: Facebook
Videographer Greg Bloom, who has since sold his raw footage of the incident to ViralHog, has come to Mr Tonkins' defence after some media reports claimed he should lose his job at Taronga Western Plains Zoo as a result of the incident.
He said the footage "was what it was" and that Mr Tonkins was a good family man with young children and a mortgage.
"I don't see why a man has to lose his job and his livelihood because there's an uproar over a kangaroo getting punched and not even hard," he said.
"Why is that an instant reaction? When someone runs into a kangaroo on the road and kills it - do they lose their licence? They don't lose their licence do they?"
In a blurb about the footage on Youtube, Mr Bloom claimed Mr Tonkins "felt no malice to the kangaroo but had to step in and fix a bad situation before it got worse".
The video shows Mr Tonkins racing to help his pet dog 'Max' as it is held in a head lock by a large kangaroo.
As the man approaches, the kangaroo kicks the dog in its front legs as the canine tries desperately to escape its grip.
Just as things begin to look dire for the dog, the kangaroo's attention turns to the dog's owner and he lets him go.
The kangaroo and man then face off with the man raising his fists into a boxing stance before he punches the kangaroo in the face.
Visibly shocked, but seemingly not seriously injured, the kangaroo is taken aback by the strike.
He then stares at the man, and again at the dog, before making a quick getaway.
Mr Tonkins, Taronga Western Plains Zoo and Australian Pig Doggers and Hunters Association have all been contacted for additional comment.
WAtoday has seen footage from the DVD which documents the boar hunting trip and ViralHog has verified it holds the raw footage.