Police hunting for ‘runaway’ wallaby

By Faye Mayern

A 'runaway' wallaby has been caught on camera in the English countryside - as police launch an appeal to help find it.

The small mammal was spotted outside the village of Ilketshall St Andrew, near Bungay, Suffolk, on Tuesday (August 12).

Wallabies are usually associated with Australia and New Zealand, but sightings in the UK are becoming more common, especially on the Isle of Man.

Suffolk Police were called to a sighting the following day (August 13) and have urged anyone who sees the animal to contact them.

Steven Ellis, who works on the land nearby, snapped the wallaby on his camera after initially thinking it was a deer.

He said: "We've got quite a few deer around, so I thought I must be mistaken.

"But then I thought it was a kangaroo - I don't think they're far off.

"I stood there thinking 'who do I ring to tell them' but I thought no one is going to believe me.

"I've never seen one around here ever before. It's a very strange sighting.

"You'd expect to see it on holiday in Australia."

Steven added he managed to get hold of his friends who strolled up with the greeting: 'G'day mate'.

The wallaby then disappeared into the bushes and Stephen said he had not seen it since.

Suffolk Police were also called on Wednesday (August 13) after a wallaby sighting near Halesworth.

The force encouraged anyone who had spotted the animal to contact them. It is not clear whether it is wild or has escaped captivity.