{"id":2187800,"date":"2025-08-03T06:00:44","date_gmt":"2025-08-03T05:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/?p=2187800"},"modified":"2025-08-02T18:48:28","modified_gmt":"2025-08-02T17:48:28","slug":"truckers-fatally-hit-two-baby-kangaroos-as-footage-sparks-debate-about-high-speed-wildlife-encounters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/truckers-fatally-hit-two-baby-kangaroos-as-footage-sparks-debate-about-high-speed-wildlife-encounters\/","title":{"rendered":"Truckers fatally hit two baby kangaroos as footage sparks debate about high-speed wildlife encounters"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Dashcam footage of a truck driver hitting two baby kangaroos in broad daylight has sparked a fierce debate over high-speed wildlife encounters.<\/p>\n<p>The clip first aired on Australian program Outback Truckers five years ago and showed trainee driver Kylie Hornick behind the wheel of a motortruck under the supervision of an instructor.<\/p>\n<p>A kangaroo and two joeys suddenly emerged directly in her path.<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"molvideoplayer\" title=\"MailOnline Embed Player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/embed\/video\/3434399.html\" width=\"640\" height=\"573\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Keep it straight, keep it straight,&#8217; the instructor repeatedly said as the adult kangaroo narrowly escaped the fast-moving truck.<\/p>\n<p>A loud thud was heard as the two joeys disappeared under the hood of the truck.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Yuck!&#8217; Hornick said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;I hate that sound but I&#8217;m not going to jeopardize oncoming traffic [and] our lives for one kangaroo.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>The clip resurfaced this week and was reposted by Macquarie Driving School, a heavy vehicle training company in Australia which educates and raises awareness about the hazards of wildlife collisions Down Under.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"thumbnail wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"width: 644px\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==\" fifu-lazy=\"1\" fifu-data-sizes=\"auto\" fifu-data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2025\/05\/13\/17\/98324375-14705899-Dashcam_captured_the_adult_kangaroo_narrowly_avoiding_the_oncomi-m-22_1747155493927.jpg?ssl=1&amp;w=75&amp;resize=75&amp;ssl=1 75w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2025\/05\/13\/17\/98324375-14705899-Dashcam_captured_the_adult_kangaroo_narrowly_avoiding_the_oncomi-m-22_1747155493927.jpg?ssl=1&amp;w=100&amp;resize=100&amp;ssl=1 100w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2025\/05\/13\/17\/98324375-14705899-Dashcam_captured_the_adult_kangaroo_narrowly_avoiding_the_oncomi-m-22_1747155493927.jpg?ssl=1&amp;w=150&amp;resize=150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2025\/05\/13\/17\/98324375-14705899-Dashcam_captured_the_adult_kangaroo_narrowly_avoiding_the_oncomi-m-22_1747155493927.jpg?ssl=1&amp;w=240&amp;resize=240&amp;ssl=1 240w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2025\/05\/13\/17\/98324375-14705899-Dashcam_captured_the_adult_kangaroo_narrowly_avoiding_the_oncomi-m-22_1747155493927.jpg?ssl=1&amp;w=320&amp;resize=320&amp;ssl=1 320w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2025\/05\/13\/17\/98324375-14705899-Dashcam_captured_the_adult_kangaroo_narrowly_avoiding_the_oncomi-m-22_1747155493927.jpg?ssl=1&amp;w=500&amp;resize=500&amp;ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2025\/05\/13\/17\/98324375-14705899-Dashcam_captured_the_adult_kangaroo_narrowly_avoiding_the_oncomi-m-22_1747155493927.jpg?ssl=1&amp;w=640&amp;resize=640&amp;ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2025\/05\/13\/17\/98324375-14705899-Dashcam_captured_the_adult_kangaroo_narrowly_avoiding_the_oncomi-m-22_1747155493927.jpg?ssl=1&amp;w=800&amp;resize=800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2025\/05\/13\/17\/98324375-14705899-Dashcam_captured_the_adult_kangaroo_narrowly_avoiding_the_oncomi-m-22_1747155493927.jpg?ssl=1&amp;w=1024&amp;resize=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2025\/05\/13\/17\/98324375-14705899-Dashcam_captured_the_adult_kangaroo_narrowly_avoiding_the_oncomi-m-22_1747155493927.jpg?ssl=1&amp;w=1280&amp;resize=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w, https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2025\/05\/13\/17\/98324375-14705899-Dashcam_captured_the_adult_kangaroo_narrowly_avoiding_the_oncomi-m-22_1747155493927.jpg?ssl=1&amp;w=1600&amp;resize=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w\" class=\"size-full\" fifu-data-src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2025\/05\/13\/17\/98324375-14705899-Dashcam_captured_the_adult_kangaroo_narrowly_avoiding_the_oncomi-m-22_1747155493927.jpg?ssl=1\" alt=\"Harrowing: Dashcam captured the adult kangaroo narrowly avoiding the oncoming truck but two joeys were not so lucky\" width=\"634\" height=\"380\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"caption wp-caption-text\">Harrowing: Dashcam captured the adult kangaroo narrowly avoiding the oncoming truck but two joeys were not so lucky<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&#8216;Imagine this: You&#8217;re driving a heavy truck at high speed on a busy highway. Suddenly, two baby kangaroos jump onto the road,&#8217; the company captioned the footage.<\/p>\n<p>The school advised swerving or breaking suddenly would only endanger road users while staying on course was &#8216;heartbreaking, but it may be the safest option&#8217;.<\/p>\n<p>One YouTube viewer wrote: &#8216;Don&#8217;t matter what animal mate, never swerve to avoid, and you won&#8217;t be touching the break at that speed for one either.&#8217;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"thumbnail wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"width: 644px\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==\" fifu-lazy=\"1\" fifu-data-sizes=\"auto\" fifu-data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2025\/05\/13\/11\/98324365-14705899-The_trainee_truck_driver_pictured_can_be_heard_saying_I_hate_tha-a-36_1747133987437.jpg?ssl=1&amp;w=75&amp;resize=75&amp;ssl=1 75w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2025\/05\/13\/11\/98324365-14705899-The_trainee_truck_driver_pictured_can_be_heard_saying_I_hate_tha-a-36_1747133987437.jpg?ssl=1&amp;w=100&amp;resize=100&amp;ssl=1 100w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2025\/05\/13\/11\/98324365-14705899-The_trainee_truck_driver_pictured_can_be_heard_saying_I_hate_tha-a-36_1747133987437.jpg?ssl=1&amp;w=150&amp;resize=150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2025\/05\/13\/11\/98324365-14705899-The_trainee_truck_driver_pictured_can_be_heard_saying_I_hate_tha-a-36_1747133987437.jpg?ssl=1&amp;w=240&amp;resize=240&amp;ssl=1 240w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2025\/05\/13\/11\/98324365-14705899-The_trainee_truck_driver_pictured_can_be_heard_saying_I_hate_tha-a-36_1747133987437.jpg?ssl=1&amp;w=320&amp;resize=320&amp;ssl=1 320w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2025\/05\/13\/11\/98324365-14705899-The_trainee_truck_driver_pictured_can_be_heard_saying_I_hate_tha-a-36_1747133987437.jpg?ssl=1&amp;w=500&amp;resize=500&amp;ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2025\/05\/13\/11\/98324365-14705899-The_trainee_truck_driver_pictured_can_be_heard_saying_I_hate_tha-a-36_1747133987437.jpg?ssl=1&amp;w=640&amp;resize=640&amp;ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2025\/05\/13\/11\/98324365-14705899-The_trainee_truck_driver_pictured_can_be_heard_saying_I_hate_tha-a-36_1747133987437.jpg?ssl=1&amp;w=800&amp;resize=800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2025\/05\/13\/11\/98324365-14705899-The_trainee_truck_driver_pictured_can_be_heard_saying_I_hate_tha-a-36_1747133987437.jpg?ssl=1&amp;w=1024&amp;resize=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2025\/05\/13\/11\/98324365-14705899-The_trainee_truck_driver_pictured_can_be_heard_saying_I_hate_tha-a-36_1747133987437.jpg?ssl=1&amp;w=1280&amp;resize=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2025\/05\/13\/11\/98324365-14705899-The_trainee_truck_driver_pictured_can_be_heard_saying_I_hate_tha-a-36_1747133987437.jpg?ssl=1&amp;w=1600&amp;resize=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w\" class=\"size-full\" fifu-data-src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2025\/05\/13\/11\/98324365-14705899-The_trainee_truck_driver_pictured_can_be_heard_saying_I_hate_tha-a-36_1747133987437.jpg?ssl=1\" alt=\"Distressing: The trainee truck driver was heard saying, &#039;I hate that sound&#039; after hitting the baby kangaroos\" width=\"634\" height=\"316\" title=\"\"><figcaption class=\"caption wp-caption-text\">Distressing: The trainee truck driver was heard saying, &#8216;I hate that sound&#8217; after hitting the baby kangaroos<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Doing so may have been particularly perilous, given a pickup truck was driving at a fast speed in the opposite direction<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Situations like these are part of the job,&#8217; the school wrote.<\/p>\n<p>While many viewers &#8211; including a number of truck drivers &#8211; agreed the trainee had done the right thing, some accused her of driving recklessly.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;If you slow down, you won&#8217;t jeopardize anyone,&#8217; one commented.<\/p>\n<p>Another described the incident as &#8216;just awful,&#8217; claiming she should have slowed down.<\/p>\n<p>One man caused a particular stir when he wrote: &#8216;Pro tip &#8211; if you take your big hoof off the accelerator the vehicle will actually slow down.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>A woman replied: &#8216;Ever driven a big rig? With a comment like that it&#8217;s a firm no!&#8217; while another said: &#8216;Slowing down a road train with about 20m warning&#8230; Good luck.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>Kangaroos account for the vast majority of wildlife collisions in Australia.<\/p>\n<p>About 12,880 animal collision insurance claims were lodged with Australia&#8217;s National Roads And Motorists&#8217; Association in 2023, 85 per cent of which involved kangaroos.<\/p>\n<p>Animal welfare group WIRES advises motorists to stop and check on the welfare of injured animals if it is safe to do so following a collision.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;If the animal is alive and injured call WIRES or your local wildlife rescue service,&#8217; campaign manager Kristie Newton said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;If the animal has died due to road trauma \u2013 especially if it is a kangaroo &#8211; check if it is a female and if there\u2019s a joey(s) in her pouch or around her.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p><i>This <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/snapchat\/article-14712013\/Truckers-fatally-hit-two-baby-kangaroos-footage-sparks-debate-high-speed-wildlife-encounters.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow external noreferrer\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">article<\/a> was first published by The Daily Mail on 25 July 2025.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n<h2>Wildlife in catastrophic decline<\/h2>\n<p>The 73% decline in vertebrate wildlife populations during the last 50 years (mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish), is primarily driven by human activities that threaten biodiversity.<\/p>\n<p><em>Habitat Loss and Degradation<\/em> &#8211; human activities like deforestation, urbanization, and agriculture have led to the destruction and fragmentation of natural habitats.<\/p>\n<p><em>Overexploitation of Resources<\/em> &#8211; hunting, fishing and wildlife trafficking lead to the depletion of populations and the loss of biodiversity.<\/p>\n<p><em>Invasive Species<\/em> &#8211; the introduction of non-native species disrupt ecosystems, compete with native species, and threaten their survival.<\/p>\n<p><em>Pollution<\/em> &#8211; air, water, and soil pollution from industrial activities, agriculture, and other sources harm wildlife directly or indirectly by affecting their habitats and food sources.<\/p>\n<p><em>Climate Change<\/em> &#8211; changing weather patterns, rising temperatures, and sea levels are disrupting ecosystems and impacting species&#8217; ability to adapt and survive.<\/p>\n<h2>Help to protect wildlife<\/h2>\n<p><em>Help to protect wildlife by donating as little as $5 &#8211; it only takes a minute!\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><script type=\"text\/javascript\" defer=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/donorbox.org\/install-popup-button.js\" id=\"donorbox-popup-button-installer\"> <\/script><a id=\"preview_inline_popup_button\" class=\"dbox-donation-button\" style=\"background: #0dc5dc; color: #ffffff; text-decoration: none; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; display: flex; gap: 8px; width: fit-content; font-size: 16px; border-radius: 5px; line-height: 24px; padding: 8px 24px;\" href=\"https:\/\/donorbox.org\/focusing-on-wildlife-needs-your-support?default_interval=m&amp;amount=50\" data-reminder-widget-enabled=\"true\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow external noreferrer\" data-wpel-link=\"external\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==\" fifu-lazy=\"1\" fifu-data-sizes=\"auto\" fifu-data-srcset=\"https:\/\/donorbox.org\/images\/white_logo.svg 75w, https:\/\/donorbox.org\/images\/white_logo.svg 100w, https:\/\/donorbox.org\/images\/white_logo.svg 150w, https:\/\/donorbox.org\/images\/white_logo.svg 240w, https:\/\/donorbox.org\/images\/white_logo.svg 320w, https:\/\/donorbox.org\/images\/white_logo.svg 500w, https:\/\/donorbox.org\/images\/white_logo.svg 640w, https:\/\/donorbox.org\/images\/white_logo.svg 800w, https:\/\/donorbox.org\/images\/white_logo.svg 1024w, https:\/\/donorbox.org\/images\/white_logo.svg 1280w, https:\/\/donorbox.org\/images\/white_logo.svg 1600w\" fifu-data-src=\"https:\/\/donorbox.org\/images\/white_logo.svg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">Donate<\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>Our <a href=\"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/wildlife-charities-supported-by-focusing-on-wildlife\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">conservation partners<\/a> spend at least 90 percent of the money raised on actual fieldwork\u00a0rather than administration and fundraising.<\/em><\/p>\n<hr style=\"border-top: 1px solid white;\" \/>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dashcam footage of a truck driver hitting two baby kangaroos in broad daylight has sparked a fierce debate over high-speed wildlife encounters. The clip first aired on Australian program Outback Truckers five years ago and showed trainee driver Kylie Hornick behind the wheel of a motortruck under the supervision of an instructor. A kangaroo and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1178,"featured_media":2204727,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/6464bd6d0d92400018e6c710","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6985,5],"tags":[10420],"class_list":["post-2187800","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-wildlife","tag-kangaroos"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2187800","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1178"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2187800"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2187800\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2204727"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2187800"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2187800"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2187800"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}