The Dubbo zookeeper who struck a kangaroo in the face after it had his dog in a headlock will keep his job, despite calls from some groups for him to be sacked.
Greig Tonkins was on a hunting trip organised for a 19-year-old man dying of cancer when he raced to help his dog from the grips of a kangaroo.
The incident occurred in country New South Wales in June but footage of Mr Tonkin's punching the kangaroo before calling his dogs away only went viral on Sunday after it was shared by an American man online.
In a statement on Tuesday, Taronga Western Plains Zoo, where Mr Tonkins has worked for the past six years as an elephant keeper, said he was not in danger of losing his job.
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"Mr Tonkins is an experienced zookeeper and during his six years at Taronga Western Plains Zoo has always followed Taronga's best practice approach to animal care and welfare," it read.
"We confirm that there is no suggestion of Mr Tonkins' employment at Taronga Western Plains Zoo 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.
"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 a committee member for the Australian Pig Doggers and Hunters Association.
Greg Bloom, who filmed the interaction with the kangaroo, came to the zoo keeper's defence on Monday after some media reports claimed he should lose his job as a result of the incident.
PETA also called for him to be prosecuted.
Mr Bloom said the footage "was what it was" and that Mr Tonkins was a good family man with young children and a mortgage.
In a blurb about the footage on Youtube, Mr Bloom claimed Mr Tonkins "felt no malice to the kangaroo but had to step in and fix a bad situation before it got worse".
The video showed Mr Tonkins racing to help his pet dog 'Max' as it is held in a headlock by a large kangaroo.
As Mr Tonkins approaches, the kangaroo kicks the dog in its front legs as the canine tries desperately to escape its grip.
Just as things begin to look dire for the dog, the kangaroo's attention turns to Mr Tonkins and he lets him go.
The kangaroo and Mr Tonkins then face off with Mr Tonkins raising his fists into a boxing stance before punching the kangaroo in the face.
Visibly shocked, but seemingly not seriously injured, the kangaroo is taken aback by the strike.
He then stares at Mr Tonkins, and again at the dog, before making a quick getaway.
The video has been viewed more than six million times and Mr Bloom has since sold the raw footage to ViralHog.