A five-year-old boy has been savagely mauled by a kangaroo in northern New South Wales.

Lewis was playing in the backyard of his family home in Valla Beach when he was attacked by a two-metre kangaroo.

His father, Brenton Dyer, tackled the animal off his son.

He tells Ben Fordham he heard his son’s screams and ran straight for the kangaroo.

“I saw a kangaroo circling him, stomping him pretty much to death.

“I did what any father would do and ran… just tackled it off him, I didn’t even think.

“Looks like he’d been in the cage with a tiger.”

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Lewis suffered cuts to the face but has been cleared by doctors and returned to school.