MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- A partially blind kangaroo has been hailed a hero after helping rescue a farmer who suffered serious head injuries when he was hit by a falling branch.

The pet kangaroo banged on the door of the family's house in Morwell in Gippsland, southeast Australia, after discovering the farmer lying unconscious in a field, Rural Ambulance Victoria paramedic Eddie Wright told radio station 3AW.

Wright said the man, whose identity was not released, was checking his property for damage following a severe storm when he was struck by a falling branch and knocked unconscious Sunday.

The kangaroo had been adopted by the family about 10 years ago, after authorities let them care for the wild animal because it was blind in one eye, Wright said.

Wright said the farmer could have died if he had not been found so soon.

"The kangaroo alerted them (the family) to where he was and went and sat down next to him and that's how they found him," he said.

"The farmer's wife followed the kangaroo because he was acting out of character."

Originally posted by welshpom
http://edition.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/as....ap/index.html