Kangaroo population declines in NSW by 4 million, 'largely attributed' to drought SunSunday 14 updated SunSunday 14 FebFebruary 2021 at 8:58pm "Andy" the joey is being hand-raised by WIRES carer Christie Jarrett after being found abandoned in a paddock. ( Share Print text only Cancel Another devastating impact of the drought in regional New South Wales has been revealed, with the state's kangaroo population thought to have plummeted by more than a quarter. Key points: The NSW kangaroo population is estimated to have plummeted by 25.5 per cent An annual survey estimated there were 10.5 million animals in 2020, compared to 14 million in 2019 It is a significant collapse since a peak of 17 million was observed in 2016