Seven-year-old Regan McGovern walked into her backyard last Wednesday morning to find a kangaroo grazing.

After previously patting a kangaroo at a wildlife park, she thought it would be fine to do the same in her own yard. It wasn’t.

The kangaroo began to chase Regan around the yard, and after the animal caught her it knocked her to the ground and began to attack by jumping and pressing down on the young girl’s back.

Upon hearing her daughter screaming, Regan’s mother Lexi Cubis raced outside and managed to pick up her daughter and ran towards the house.

But the kangaroo wasn’t finished, it chased the pair and once again knocked Regan to the ground and began to attack.

Two of Mrs Cubis’ friends then came to their aid and were able to distract the animal and allowed time for Mrs Cubis to get her daughter inside the house.

“It bounced around the house for another 10 minutes after that,” Mrs Cubis said.

“You just don’t think something like this would happen. We’ve been here four years and we’ve never had any trouble with them (kangaroos).”

Mrs Cubis said there is a high population of kangaroos around their area on Black’s Rd and Rogers Rd.

Regan was taken to hospital and has now returned home, but is scared to go outside.

As a result of the attack, Regan suffered a black eye, scratches and bruises on her stomach and back as well as a fractured wrist.

Mrs Cubis said she would like to make other parents and children aware that kangaroos can be extremely dangerous animals.

“She is scared to go outside now, her sister is as well,” she said.

“It frightened everyone in the house.”