Aussie catches unusual kangaroo moment at popular campsite: 'Something new'

The 'one in a million' video seems to capture the kangaroos hopping into deep water in a lake.

Kangaroos appearing to hop into the middle of a lake at Noosa Habitat.
The kangaroos appeared to hop into the middle of a lake in Noosa. Source: TikTok/@sazzletoc

An Aussie camper has captured a mob of kangaroos doing something very unusual. The iconic land-dwelling animals, typically equated with lounging in the bush or hopping through scrub, have been spotted bouncing into a lake, apparently for a morning swim.

Videoed at Habitat Noosa camping ground in Queensland, eight roos are filmed hopping in single file approximately 20 metres into the lake where they stop and group together.

Animal rescuer Craig Thomson, who works for international organisation Kangaroos Alive, told Yahoo News Australia he had never seen anything like it.

“From experience, kangaroos tend to head to water to escape a threat, although looking at the video this does not appear to be the case here,” Thomson, who has been rescuing wildlife for 25 years, said.

Kangaroos hopping through water (left) and sitting down (right).
The kangaroos eventually appeared to sit down in a group. Source: TikTok/@sazzletoc

He said that while it's well-known that kangaroos can swim, this behaviour is surprising.

“After all the years I’ve worked in conservation and wildlife I always think I have a pretty good understanding of behaviours but then you see something new,” he said.

A similar video from the same campground also appears to show a kangaroo hopping through the middle of the lake at sunset.

But it seems the Noosa roos might just be doing things differently and staff at the campsite say it’s pretty common practice for their hopping mates.

“They’ve been doing it for years here,” Christine Grima, who works in guest services at Habitat Noosa, told Yahoo News Australia. “The lake is shallow, up to your knees and a cross between salt and fresh water. They go in every morning to get rid of ticks and to clean themselves.

Craig Thomson (left) a kangaroo hopping (right).
Kangaroo rescuer Craig Thomson says he's never encountered kangaroos behaving in this way before. Source: Supplied/Getty

"It’s a national park so there’s no pets or wild dogs here. They go in purely of their own choice, not to escape anything.”

Thomson agreed that’s perfectly possible and there are photos of kangaroos doing a similar thing in Lake Buninjon, northwest of Melbourne.

October 24 is World Kangaroo Day, designed to raise awareness around Australia’s famous marsupials.

“There’s a walks and talks program operating around the country,” Thomson said.

“The great thing about kangaroos is how similar they are to us. They have some very endearing behaviours, for example the male kangaroos stroke the females tails and faces in courtship.

"When we take people on our kangaroo walks and talks they see how a lot of what kangaroos do happens in their families too.”

Kangaroos hopping through water in Noosa, Queensland.
The kangaroos at the Noosa campsite are often seen hopping through the water. Source: TikTok/ @Queensland

Hundreds of comments on the popular TikTok videos attest to the kangaroo behaviour being pretty unusual.

“Wow, some people have all the luck. A one in a million sight,” said one. “I have never witnessed such behaviour from kangas,” said another.

Many didn't even believe the videos were real, with one viewer writing: “This feels like AI”.

“I’ve lived in Australia my whole life and I didn’t know kangaroos could hop on water,” another wrote.

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