A baby kangaroo who survived an alleged act of animal cruelty in a South Coast town has been buddied up with another orphaned joey and both are recovering well in the care of wildlife rescue officers.
The six-month old Eastern Grey joey was rescued from a gutter in Maloneys Beach, near Batemans Bay, where seven adult kangaroos and another joey were found dead on October 9.
A further five adult kangaroos and one joey were found dead in the nearby suburb of Long Beach on the same day.
South Coast police officers later charged two teenagers with animal cruelty offences. They are due to appear at a children's court on November 22.
WIRES Mid South Coast member Janelle Renes said the rescued joey was aptly nicknamed "Hope" in reference to her remarkable recovery after the incident.
"When Hope was found she was barely alive, freezing cold, and it took about two hours for us to stabilize her," Ms Renes said.
"Once we'd warmed her up she started to move around and we were able to give her a bottle. She now has around five feeds a day.
"It's remarkable she's doing so well because at her age she would typically be inside her mum's pouch all the time."
Baby Hope has a new brother nicknamed Hopper, an orphaned joey in WIRES care when she arrived, and a sister rescued on Wednesday who had not yet been given a name.
"They're all getting along well, and Hope has settled in with her new brother and sister," Ms Renes said.
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