Meet the new neighbours

An army of kangaroos driven by hunger and thirst has invaded Australia's capital city.

The animals are within yards of downtown Canberra, settling on football fields, cricket pitches and back gardens.

South east Australia is experiencing its worst drought in a century, following devastating bushfires, so the kangaroos, sometimes in packs of more than a hundred, have headed towards more fertile land.

Professional gunmen have culled up to 800 while more than 150 are dying each month on the roads.

The normally-docile Eastern Grey is becoming a threat and Canberra's 320,000 residents fear they may injure children. But they are reluctant to take further action because, when the rains come again, the invaders will certainly retreat.

The state government's wildlife spokesman Maxine Cooper said: 'All we can ask people to do is be very careful.

'These aren't the kind of animal you can shoo away.'