Unlike some of their more famous co-residents -- the pandas and gorillas, for instance -- the kangaroos making their debut at Zoo Atlanta today have no reproductive issues.

Far from it.

These marsupials are so, er, "family oriented" that the three males in the new Outback Station area of Orkin Children's Zoo have been neutered. (It's a family group; the zoo doesn't want any inbreeding.)

That shouldn't stop visitors from checking out these curious critters, who have permanently relocated here from the Kansas City Zoo.

Meet Uluru and Poochera, the females known as blue flyers for their blue-silver coat.

And Stirling, Nebo and Clayton, the males, commonly called boomers.

Zoo Atlanta's first-ever 'roos are all red kangaroos, a breed native to Australia. Kangaroos are the largest of the marsupials, animals with pouches where undeveloped babies feed until they're ready for the outside world. The males can grow up to eight feet in length and reach 200 pounds, although these won't, due to their sterilization.

The kangaroos are the stars of the second phase of the zoo's $1.3 million family center, a gift from the Gary M. and Ruth M. Rollins Foundation. Gary Rollins is chairman of the board of Rollins, which owns Orkin, the pest control company.

"I wanted to do something for animals," said Mrs. Rollins, known as Ruthie, who prompted the gift. "The love of animals is at the core of me. And the zoo needs lots of help."

Another private donation helped pay for the five kangaroos, which, thanks to good relations with the Kansas City Zoo, cost a relatively inexpensive total of $2,000.

"That's considerably less than you could go out and buy a kangaroo on the market today," said Mike Richardson, Zoo Atlanta's curator of birds and small animals.

After about a year of construction, Outback Station -- the name has nothing to do with the restaurant chain -- features a walk-through barn, where the animals can take shelter; a facsimile Australian ranch; petting pen; and even a Handwash Hut, sponsored by Northside Hospital.

The kangaroos are not part of the petting experience; they can only hop, not walk.

But they have neighbors on hand for touching, including:

• eight Nubian goats (Willow, Gertie, Riley. Dembe, Amani, Sage, Shiloh, Phoebe);

• four Nigerian dwarf goats (Toowoomba, Wiley, Kipper, Murray);

• four Gulf Coast Native sheep (Darwin, Hobart, Gerald, Norman);

• and two Vietnamese potbellied pigs (Esther, Spotless).

Zoo Atlanta has had an animal-contact attraction for decades, but the old one, dating to the '60s, had deteriorated. An updated facility was needed to draw families, the zoo's core audience.

"A petting zoo is really crucial to our whole mission of education, conservation and strong families," said Dennis Kelly, Zoo Atlanta president and CEO.

"Without a petting zoo, you really can't deliver that. We believe this is state-of-the-art. It's going to give [visitors] a reason to come back."

Of course, some babies could help. For that reason, the zoo is looking to bring in a breeding boomer later this year.

Just to keep the joint jumping.