A grateful kangaroo offers a handshake after being rescued from a freezing lake by three men

We always like it when people help animals. This is a thankless job — animals usually do not appreciate a good deed.

But sometimes animals have a cute way of saying «thank you» to their rescuers, like one kangaroo who shook hands with the people who saved him.

 A man named David saw a kangaroo on a lake in Canberra. It is reported that the water froze and the animal could not get out.

But then two brave passers-by jumped into the icy water to help the roux escape.

The men approach carefully so as not to startle the kangaroo. As soon as they approach and try to grab his arms to take him to a safe place, the kangaroo begins to wave his arms.

But not afraid, the men grab the animal and take it out of the water.

A third person helps lift the kangaroo to dry land and helps calm the frightened and trembling animal.

Although they appear gentle, kangaroos can be dangerous if they feel threatened. Their defenses include a hard punch similar to a boxer’s, sharp claws, and a kick that experts say can disembowel a person.

Luckily, this kangaroo seemed to understand that these people were there to help, and in a touching moment even extended its paw as if offering a handshake.

«Oh, he thanks you,» the person filming the salvation can be heard saying.

According to Daily Mail Australia, the kangaroo was in «shock» and took half an hour to calm down.

But according to the Courier-Mail, onlookers said the kangaroo eventually jumped in its path, seemingly unscathed from the ordeal.