Sydney: Australian scientists have discovered a 17,300-year-old painting of a kangaroo, which is said to be the country’s oldest known rock art.

According to details, the art work was painted in red ochre on the wall of a rock shelter and its length is said to be 2m (6.5ft).

The painting is discovered in Australia's Kimberley region, which is famous for its Aboriginal rock art work. Its age was estimated by radiocarbon-dating ancient mud wasp nests.

Researcher Damien Finch, who founded the mud wasp dating technique, said it was rare to find mud wasp nests both on top and underneath a single artwork.

"We radiocarbon dated three wasp nests underlying the painting and three nests built over it to determine, confidently, that the painting is between 17,500 and 17,100 years old; most likely 17,300 years old," said Dr Finch, a geochronologist from the University of Melbourne.

Scientists believe that the discovered artwork of Kangaroo is similar to paintings from islands in South East Asia dated to more than 40,000 years ago.