AssetID: 54700608
Headline: RAW VIDEO: Rare Albino Wallaby Captured After Wandering Wild In Kent
Caption: A rare albino wallaby that has been on the loose in Kent for several days has been rescued by the RSPCA. The injured male marsupial was found by a member of the public cowering in some bushes in Elms Vale Road at Hougham near Dover on Sunday (April 27). The animal charity was contacted and sent an officer from one of its specialist teams to help catch the wallaby, who had suffered cuts and abrasions to his face. It is believed the wallaby may have escaped from his owner after he was first caught by staff from a local wildlife park last Friday and then placed with a private boarding establishment. While wallabies have become established in the wild in parts of the UK as a result of escaping captivity, it is thought this is an owned animal. The RSPCA is keen to speak to the owner to establish under what conditions and in what type of enclosure the wallaby is being kept. RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer (ARO) Wayne Baker said: “This poor wallaby wasn’t in the best of health when we found him. He was sitting in some bushes when he was spotted by a member of the public at around 10.30am on Sunday. He had blood on his nose and back legs. “He must have been sitting there for a couple of hours. I gave him some water but it was clear he needed veterinary attention. As we couldn’t get a vet to attend we lent on the expertise of our specialist CAST team who provided guidance on how to pick up the wallaby correctly by supporting the tail and chest. He was then placed in a kennel and taken to a local vets for a check-up.” “The following day I transferred him to a local private boarding establishment where he is currently being monitored. “It seemed odd that he was loose in this area as there were reports of a wallaby being caught last Friday near Dover. Apparently, the wildlife park didn’t have room to accommodate and used a foster carer, but we’ve heard someone claiming to be an owner then got involved. “We would like to speak to them as we need to establish how and where this wallaby is being kept. If the owner doesn’t come forward within 14 days then we will rehome the animal into a suitable environment.” It is understood that the wallaby, who is not microchipped, was first caught near Broomfield Bank water works on Folkestone Road last Friday after a number of posters on social media alerted local wildlife experts to sightings. Wallabies are not a native species to the UK, but there is a small number kept in captivity as pets. An RSPCA spokesperson added: “It is possible this wallaby is lost from or has escaped from a private property. They are not a native species and releasing one into the wild is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. “Our advice to people who spot a wallaby in the wild is to watch from afar and not try to approach them. Sightings should be reported to UK Wallaby Sightings.”
Keywords: wallaby,rspca,feature,video,albino,nature,animals,rescue
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