Mystery wallaby roaming UK stays on run for 3 years as zoo admits ‘it is overwhelmed us’
The mystery over the appearance of a single wallaby in the UK continues to baffle after it has roamed the countryside for three years.
A local zoo has even tried to safely apprehend the wallaby but every time they have tried, even with a 15-strong team, they admit it’s “beaten us”.
Most recently a North Devon woman was left gobsmacked after she discovered the wallaby at the roadside near Barnstaple.The mysterious hopper has been wandering the Devon countryside for the past few years.
Vicky Wilkins was making her way home at approximately 9.30pm on Tuesday (July 21) evening when she encountered the surprising sight.
The wallaby has reportedly been on the run for about three years(Image: Vicky Wilkins)
Vicky told DevonLive : “I just grabbed my phone because I thought no one’s going to believe that I’ve seen a wallaby by the side of the road.
“I was concerned about where he’d come from and where he was going. I didn’t want to grab him and scare him off.
The wallaby seemed completely unperturbed by the meeting.
“My car just went up to him and he just sat there. He wasn’t scared at all.”
Shortly afterwards, Vicky rang Exmoor Zoo and Combe Martin Wildlife and Dinosaur Park to enquire whether either establishment was missing a wallaby. She said neither had one that was unaccounted for.
Vicky added: “I thought maybe it belonged to a private owner because he looked healthy and well-fed. It was just incredible to see.”
The wallaby is reportedly ‘very streetwise’(Image: Vicky Wilkins)
She subsequently posted the video online hoping someone might identify the creature and reunite it with its owner.
Nevertheless, it appears the enigmatic wallaby may be somewhat of a North Devon local.
Danny Reynolds, a partner at Exmoor Zoo said staff have been aware of the puzzling wallaby for years.
He said: “As far I’m aware, we are not missing a wallaby. But we do know about this one. It’s been living in the wild for about three years.
“We’ve made numerous attempts to capture it and every single time, even with a team of 15 people, it’s beaten us.
“You see it once and then you don’t see it again for months. It’s a bit like the Exmoor Beast, except this one poses for the occasional photo.”
Despite originating from Australia, Danny explained that wallabies can thrive in Britain’s climate, especially in woodland areas with abundant food sources.
“They’ve lived in the Peak District and the Scottish islands for years. The winters aren’t as severe as they used to be and they can survive pretty well.”
While the wallaby looks to be in good health, zoo workers say it would preferably be brought back into captivity if it could be safely captured, though that’s proving more challenging than anticipated.
So for the time being, North Devon’s most mysterious inhabitant stays on the run.
