A young Maltese-Australian was severely injured by a kangaroo in New South Wales, Australia, on Thursday.

Zakkiah Galea, whose parents are believed to have relatives in Gozo, was playing in a ranch when he was pinned to the ground and attacked by the kangaroo, the Australian media reported.

His mother Nicole told The Sun: "I screamed at the kangaroo to get off him but it wouldn't – it just kept on attacking."

His father Andrew, eventually managed to hit the beast which fled into the bush.

Zakkiah suffered an injury to his chest, a gash on his leg, and bites to his mouth and ear.

His mother said he was covered in blood and needed 13 stitches. He is also suffering trauma.

Kangaroos rarely attack humans, but in July, two Australian police officers used pepper spray to fight off a rogue kangaroo that attacked an elderly woman in her backyard in an Outback town.