How a brutal Australian endemic became a professional athlete against his will (8 photos + 1 video)

Come now, a similar idea to someone's head, animal rights activists, Certainly not torn to shreds. But they will be dragged through the courts. A little more than a hundred years ago, fights between people and kangaroos were quite common and very popular form of entertainment.





Of course, a full-fledged duel is a battle between a man and a marsupial cannot be named. But the insidious two-legged, thirsty for spectacles, played on natural options of the animal.



When, to whom and where did this idea first come to mind - unknown. Perhaps it was in Australia itself, where there are many wild kangaroo. But one of the first mentions of a fight between an animal and a man, dated 1890 refers to Philadelphia. Comic battles passed between the unknown inhabitant of the zoo and his attendants.





And a year later, in Australia itself, a real star - Battle Jack. At first, the brutal beast boxed with trainer Professor Lendermann. couple twice a week staged demonstration fights in Melbourne, each of which was full house. And then went on a tour of the country.



Judging by the surviving records, Jack received a kind of pleasure from action. He was not embarrassed and happily posed in the ring. The opponents did not cause serious harm to each other. Whole tsimes was in action, because the animal skillfully imitated boxing tricks, and sometimes even resorted to forbidden ones.



But who will accuse the marsupial of deliberately biting, kicking, low blows and an attempt to gouge eyes, let him prepare to catch stones. It's just normal animal behavior. In wildlife leaders so fight with competitors for a flock. Lost - lost everything.

The couple made grandiose plans to conquer the United States. But they don't it was destined to come true: at the peak of his career, Jack fell ill and died. Lendermann dragged a couple more brothers of the deceased partner and still visited States. Laying the foundation of the popular show, which then came to Europe.



The audience was somewhat fed up and wanted a classic realistic fighting technique. But it was already beyond the possibilities and professor and his students. And the popularity of fights began to descend on No.

A full-fledged entertainment industry cannot be built on this: everything the possibilities of the animal are limited. But the image of a kangaroo-athlete slowly exploited and figured on the screen.

The icing on the cake was the 1978 comedy Matilda. True, the actor played the role of a kangaroo there, but the film quite accurately reflected the very idea of a boxing animal dreaming of a championship title.



By the beginning of the 20th century, interest in the show had almost faded away. But kangaroo subsequently became one of the symbols of the Olympic team Australia. Why not, because as an athlete he is ethical, correct and quite adequate. In a word, such a boxer has a lot to learn in and combat and in life.

Woody Allen boxing with a kangaroo in the Hippodrome show