Kangaroo 'in bad mood' attacks elderly man on NSW coast

An elderly man who was attacked by a kangaroo at his home on the NSW south coast has been attacked by the marsupials before, neighbours say.

Kangaroo, Australia Source: SBS

An elderly man is recovering after being attacked by a kangaroo in a "bad mood" on the NSW south coast but neighbours say it's not the first time he's been beaten up by a roo.

The 80-year-old man was feeding the animals at his home in Bendalong on Thursday morning when one of the kangaroos became aggressive and attacked him.

Paramedics treated him at his home for multiple cuts to both legs and he was then taken to Milton Ulladulla Hospital in a stable condition.

Neighbours say the man has since returned home. They also claim it's not the first time he's been attacked by kangaroos.

"He's been feeding the darn things for years," Allan Barter told AAP on Thursday.

"It's the second time he's been attacked ... there are two dominant kangaroos so there's always a fight and he's been told before to stop."

Another neighbour, who wished to remain anonymous, also claimed the 80-year-old had previously been in a blue with a roo.

He said the elderly man on Thursday chased a kangaroo down his driveway with his leg wrapped in a tea towel.

"They wanted something to eat and he didn't have it," he told AAP.

"He had many, many cuts ... the kangaroo ripped open what was there on the front of his leg."

Supplied image of NSW Ambulance paramedics treating an 80-year-old man after he was attacked by a kangaroo at Bendalong on the NSW South Coast. Source: AAP

Kangaroos roam freely around the small village and usually hop between backyards and have become a tourist attraction.

"They're wild and very strong creatures ... little kids feed them and are at risk of getting beaten up," the neighbour said.

"People should just leave them alone. There's plenty of grass for them here."

Another neighbour earlier told AAP one of the gashes was so deep "you could see the bone".

But NSW Ambulance paramedic Rob Hilliar said that wasn't true and the cuts were minor.

"He's a nice old bloke who feeds the kangaroos every morning," Mr Hilliar told AAP.

"This morning one of them got a bit cranky and pushed him over."

In the past three months, NSW paramedics have been called to 38 incidents involving kangaroos, the majority of which involved collisions with cars.