Sea Lion Attacks Australian Girl

A teenage girl has been attacked by a sea lion while surfing behind a speedboat off Australia's west coast.

"It actually lined her up. It jumped out of the water at her and hit her head-on ... it opened its mouth and grabbed her head.Ella Murphy, 13, suffered cuts to her throat, a broken jaw and lost three teeth when the mammal leapt out of the sea and mauled her.She is in a stable condition in a Perth hospital after having surgery.A marine scientist said attacks by sea lions were rare and it may have been trying to play with the girl. Sea lions can grow up to 300kg (660 pounds).

Dog Rescues Woman From Kangaroo

An Australian woman has been saved by a pet dog which leapt to her aid after she was attacked by a large kangaroo, her son has said.

The marsupial assaulted Rosemary Neal, 65, at her farm near Mudgee in New South Wales, 265km (160 miles) north-west of Sydney, her son, Darren, said. "The kangaroo just jumped up and launched straight at her," he said. "My dog heard her screaming and bolted down and chased him off. If it wasn't for the dog, she'd probably be dead." Mrs Neal was taken to hospital with concussion and cuts to her face, hands and back, her son said.He added that the area had been overrun by kangaroos in recent years.Kangaroos are widespread across Australia. Most species are not considered aggressive toward humans.