NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / World

Zookeeper who punched kangaroo keeps his job at Taronga Zoo

Daily Mail
6 Dec, 2016 06:07 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

The man goes toe-to-toe with the kangaroo. Photo / via video

The man goes toe-to-toe with the kangaroo. Photo / via video

The elephant keeper who punched a kangaroo to save his beloved dog will keep his job at Taronga Zoo.

Greig Tonkins, 34, divided the internet when video of the Outback rumble went viral. Some accused the father-of-two of animal cruelty.

But Tonkins will keep his job as an elephant keeper at Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo, New South Wales.

He had gone hunting wild pigs with friends in June when his dog, Max, was put in a headlock by the kangaroo.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Tonkins punched it in an attempt to save his dog, and the footage went viral at when it was recently posted to Facebook.

Daily Mail Australia then revealed Tonkins was a zookeeper at Taronga, which on Tuesday announced he could keep his job.

"Following the events of the last 48 hours in which Greig Tonkins was seen on social media punching a kangaroo in attempt to free his dog from its hold, Taronga has been inundated with concern for Mr Tonkins as well as enquiries regarding Taronga's position on the events," the zoo said.

"Best practice animal welfare and the protection of Australian wildlife are of the utmost importance to Taronga.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Taronga strongly opposes the striking of animals and does not support the practice of using dogs to hunt, as this can result in negative welfare for both species.

"Mr Tonkins is an experienced zookeeper and during his six years at Taronga has always followed Taronga's best practice approach to animal care and welfare. We confirm that there is no suggestion of Mr Tonkins' employment ending as a result of this event.

"However, the highest standards of animal welfare and care are a core value of Taronga and one that we expect our staff to uphold in all their interactions with wildlife and we continue to work with Mr Tonkins on his conduct in regards to this incident."

The father-of-two had gone on the hunting trip in an effort to help his sick friend Kailem Barwick catch a "tonner" - a wild boar that weighs more than 100kg.

Discover more

World

Man punches kangaroo to save dog

04 Dec 05:59 AM
World

The story behind that viral roo punch

05 Dec 03:56 AM
World

What the punched roo was actually doing

06 Dec 02:13 AM
New Zealand

Number of animals used in tests falls

12 Dec 04:00 PM

Best practice animal welfare and the protection of Australian wildlife are of the utmost importance to Taronga and we do...

Posted by Taronga Zoo Sydney on Monday, 5 December 2016

A videographer joined the group to record their special trip for Kailem, who has died, and recorded the moment that has now gone viral.

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, one of the men on the trip backed Tonkins' actions, saying the punch was only thrown to protect the dog and prevent the 'roo attacking anyone else.

"The dog wanted no part of it, all it was trying to do was escape from the 'roo and that's why he stepped in," the man said.

"There's people on social media saying, 'I know men like that, I bet they killed it afterwards', but that's just ridiculous.

"He only threw the punch to redirect the animal and afterwards there were a few nervous and relieved laughs, and then we just went on with getting Kailem a tonner."

The trip ultimately proved successful, and the group ensured the young man managed to kill his "tonner".

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Sadly Kailem died last week after a long cancer battle, and his funeral was to be held tomorrow.

Greig Tonkins is an elephant keeper at Taronga Western Plains Zoo. Photo / Facebook
Greig Tonkins is an elephant keeper at Taronga Western Plains Zoo. Photo / Facebook

The fellow hunter said he was dumbfounded by the reaction and left wondering why some were happy for the dog to be injured but not the kangaroo.

"The video went viral in America and there was not one bad comment, and then it goes crazy in Australia and there's a whole bunch of outrage," he said.

"It made me sick to be part of this country when people were wishing this family man and dog died, when the kangaroo wasn't even hurt."

Daily Mail Australia can also reveal Tonkins is a committee member of the Australian Pig Doggers and Hunters Association.

In October, Max, the specially trained dog that was attacked by the 'roo, won a high jumping competition at the organisation's AGM. The performance was captured on video.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Millions of people across the world have viewed the video since it was posted to Facebook.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Tonkins for comment.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from World

Premium
World

'Speculative shares': Dinosaur fossil auction raises market concerns

17 Jun 08:00 PM
Premium
Opinion

Opinion: Trump's rise and return centred on power and retribution

17 Jun 07:00 PM
Premium
World

New video reveals how predators interact with bats, increasing virus risk

17 Jun 07:00 PM

Jono and Ben brew up a tea-fuelled adventure in Sri Lanka

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from World

Premium
'Speculative shares': Dinosaur fossil auction raises market concerns

'Speculative shares': Dinosaur fossil auction raises market concerns

17 Jun 08:00 PM

Palaeontologists worry such auctions distort the fossil market, raising prices.

Premium
Opinion: Trump's rise and return centred on power and retribution

Opinion: Trump's rise and return centred on power and retribution

17 Jun 07:00 PM
Premium
New video reveals how predators interact with bats, increasing virus risk

New video reveals how predators interact with bats, increasing virus risk

17 Jun 07:00 PM
G7 summit: Canada promises billions in aid to Ukraine as US shifts focus to Middle East

G7 summit: Canada promises billions in aid to Ukraine as US shifts focus to Middle East

17 Jun 06:50 PM
Help for those helping hardest-hit
sponsored

Help for those helping hardest-hit

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP