Escaped wallaby tracked down

A WALLABY called ‘Will” has been caught after spending 10 days hopping around the Charente countryside.

The animal’s owner was on holiday when it escaped from its pen. It was later seen bounding through fields and in a children’s park.

Gardes nationaux de la chasse (nature protection officials) captured the four-foot marsupial using a tranquilliser dart gun.

‘Will’ was tracked down in the commune of Juillac-le-Coq, a few kilometres from the fenced-off garden in Gente that he escaped from.

The animal, a red-necked wallaby (like a small kangaroo), was brought to the Charente in January. It weighs 15kg and makes 1.5m leaps.

Last year a young wallaby was caught in Evreux, Normandy. It was not known where it came from, so it was given to an animal park.