Brilliant and inspirational. Two words being used to describe Australian tennis sensation Ash Barty. And inspirational she is indeed with the Australian Reptile Park on the NSW Central Coast naming one of their kangaroo joeys after Australia’s newest national treasure.
With Ash Barty’s historic Australian Open win fresh in the minds of Australians, it seemed to be the perfect fit for the cute little joey to be named after the newly crowned champion. Staff have been searching for over a month for the perfect name and little “Ash Barty” has been hopping around showing her athleticism ever since Barty’s momentous win. With kangaroos being one of the few animals not able to take a backward step, the future is looking brilliant for the both the tennis star and her furry counterpart.
Seemingly wobbly on her tiny little feet and learning to explore the Australian Reptile Park, she is already showing strength and athleticism shared by her namesake. For now, the joey still sticks closely by Mum's side but will presumably begin to adventure further away as she gets more confident.
The Australian Reptile Park’s Director Tim Faulkner said “I love when we start to see Kangaroo joeys hopping around the Park, and we just had to name her after an Aussie icon – Ash Barty! We’ve been searching for the right name for a while now, and after Ash’s historic win on the weekend, we just knew it was the perfect fit!”
The joey is a part of The Australian Reptile Park’s kangaroo mob which visitors to the Park are able to interact with and hand-feed. This hands-on experience with an Aussie icon is often a highlight for guests. The joey is out and about and welcoming for visitors to feed or even take a selfie with!