An Australian father has been hailed a hero for jumping into action after his little girl was attacked by a kangaroo.

The horrific incident was captured on the family’s CCTV at their New South Wales home earlier this week.

The shocking clip appears to show the two-year-old playing in the grass when a huge kangaroo bounds over and launches itself at her.

With the sheer force of the marsupial’s powerful front legs, the little girl is launched backwards by the animal before her father comes racing over to help.

“Our two-year-old was attacked by a kangaroo on Saturday in our yard,” the toddler’s mother said after the traumatic incident.

“This juvenile male rushed her and was grunting and growling while it attacked.”

“We are very thankful that she had thick clothes on and that her father and I were nearby, less than five metres away, and could end the attack.

“She tried to kick it back in the end. Bless her.”

Thankfully the toddler was not seriously injured in the terrifying attack.

The family added that they are now going to buy a fence to prevent this from happening again.

“She suffered some very minor injuries, bruises and scratches,” the mom shared.

“Even when you are a safe distance, just go a little further. This was filmed on our home’s surveillance cameras.”

“The smaller Joey following behind had a mother who shot off up the hill on a different camera angle and was likely disoriented and going with the flow until it realised what was happening.”

Kangaroo attacks are very rare, with the NSW Department of Environment and Heritage (DEH) stating that fewer than five people a year are treated for kangaroo-related injuries.

While they are often portrayed in the media as being friendly and cuddly Australian icons, the reality is that the animals do have the capacity to seriously hurt people.

“A kangaroo will attack a person as if they were another kangaroo,” the DEH explained in a brochure.

“It may push or grapple with its forepaws or sit back and kick out with its hind legs. As resulting injuries can be serious, avoiding conflict with kangaroos is vital.”

In 2022, a 77-year-old man died after being attacked by a kangaroo he had been keeping as a pet inside his home in Redmond, Western Australia.

It was the first reported fatal kangaroo attack since 1936.