Outcry over boxing kangaroo in US

Kangaroos.

Lou O'Brien

A RED kangaroo that is goaded into fighting a human clown is the star attraction at a festival in the US designed to celebrate Australia.

The Daily Telegraph reports that the BorderFest festival in Hidalgo, Texas, features an event called Rocky Show Circus, involving two kangaroos and their owner, Javier Martinez, who dons the clownsuit.

The festival is sponsored by Kraft, the US owners of Vegemite.

The report says Mr Martinez baits the kangaroo by pushing it and poking it before placing it in a headlock.

If Rocky fights back too much, Mr Martinez's wife Sandra restrains it using a heavy tether attached to a harness around the animal's chest.