Wallabies on the loose in district

Wallabies on the loose in district

12 March 2014

A TWO-FOOT wallaby and her joey are roaming the district after escaping from private land in Clough.

The female pet and her white baby, which are like small kangaroos, broke out of their enclosure at Knocksticken Road on Friday and could now be within a 25-mile radius of Clough.

Their escape was reported by their owners to police on Monday morning and PSNI officers have warned the public not to approach the animals if they are spotted.

The USPCA yesterday confirmed that this is the third set of wallabies to escape from private properties in recent months. The other animals were eventually tracked down and recaptured.

Mr. David Wilson, from the USPCA, said wallabies were becoming increasingly popular as “curio” pets and said they were of no practical use to owners although they are considered “cute.”

As marsupials, he said they could withstand extreme temperatures and were likely to survive at large unless they are hit by a vehicle on the roads.

“Wallabies can be quite easily purchased online nowadays and there are even Irish-born wallabies,” he said.

“They are very small so are not easy to spot. The joey will be in and out of the mother’s pouch.

“They are unlikely to pose any risk to the public unless they are cornered in which case they may kick out.

“Our concern is for their well-being and if they are spotted we would ask people to contact the police.”

Mr. Wilson said a set of wallabies that recently escaped in Tyrone was found 20 miles from their home.

He said the Clough wallabies will have joined a range of exotic animals that escape every year from private collections. He said these commonly include racoons and corn snakes.