Spring has sprung early at Symbio Wildlife Park where there has been a record-breaking baby boom in the kangaroo and wallaby population.
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The breeding season has been more productive than ever in the "kangaroo walk-through area" where 14 joeys have been born to kangaroo and wallaby mums.
The babies actually arrived in autumn but the zookeepers are hopping with excitement now as they emerge from their mothers' pouches to explore the outside world for the first time.
Read more: Spring baby boom starts early at Symbio
That has happened just in time for the school holidays at Symbio Wildlife Park. But more importantly the population explosion at the family-run wildlife park at Helensburgh is significant for another reason following the devastating fires of last summer which killed many native animals.
"After last year's drought, the timing of these births coincide with the first heavy rainfalls we received earlier in the year, which also helped extinguish many of the bushfires that plagued NSW," Symbio's Kevin Fallon said.
"So it is only fitting that after such destruction comes such a significant sign of hope and new beginnings."
Kangaroo babies are the size of a jelly bean when they are born.
The tiny joeys then wriggle their way into their mother's pouch and stay hidden during the first five to six months.
In the coming weeks they will start finding their feet by spending short periods of time outside the pouch.
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