Calls have been made for rangers to patrol the grounds of a NSW hospital after several tourists were mauled by wild kangaroos they were trying to pat or feed.
One man recently received a deep gash to his stomach and another required 17 stitches to his face after travelling to Morisset Hospital to see "wild kangaroos" grazing, Lake Macquarie MP Greg Piper told parliament this week.
Hunter New England Health chief executive Michael DiRienzo raised concerns about the number of people visiting the hospital to see the kangaroos and said it was not encouraged.
Mr Piper on Tuesday night told parliament hundreds of international tourists are catching the train from Sydney to Morisset every day and then walking four kilometres to see the kangaroos in the grounds of the mental health facility.
He suggested National Parks and Wildlife Service rangers should patrol the grounds as part of a co-ordinated response with NSW Health and potentially Lake Macquarie City Council.
The independent MP also wants signage - in five or six languages - installed, instructing visitors not to feed the animals and warning that kangaroos can cause injury.
