Is a Wallaby wandering around Henley or is it a Kangaroo crossing?
A kangaroo-like animal was recently spotted on a busy road in Henley, Oxfordshire, with experts suggesting it may be an escapee from a nearby private collection
A kangaroo—or more likely a wallaby—was reportedly spotted earlier today - hopping down a major road in Henley, Oxfordshire, surprising local residents.
Paul Betchley from Beale Wildlife Park near Reading said the animal was probably an escapee. He said, "I would think if I was a betting man, I would put money on the fact that he was in fact an escapee. They tend to be a little bit more secretive than that, so they tend to be in open grass and parkland areas, even woodland. Being by a main road, that's a little bit more unusual."
He added, "There are populations in Scotland, populations in the Isle of Man, and there's a small population in southern England."
Sightings of wallabies in the Henley area are not new.
Over the years, there have been several reports of wallabies roaming freely in South Oxfordshire.
These animals are often thought to have escaped from private collections or estates. The Fawley Hill estate, owned by the late Sir William McAlpine, has previously said some wallabies had wandered off its property.
The exact origin of today’s sighting is not confirmed but fits with similar past reports in the region.