Captured wallaby given temporary home

The marsupial was first reported to North Yorkshire Police after it was spotted in the Strensall area on Tuesday, close to the A1237.

Fearing the animal could hop out into the road, members of the public herded it into a field off Connaught Way on Wednesday evening and again on Thursday, before police closed the road and brought a vet from Hull to tranquillise the animal.

Members of the animal management team at Askham Bryan College helped police, and the wallaby - nicknamed Wesley by staff - is now safe at the college.

Liz Cooper, college principal, said the facility already played host to a number of animals, and had previously kept wallabies, but the new arrival had not been one of theirs.

She said: "We have had them in the past but don't have any at the moment.

"One of the governors contacted us when the story went online, so I contacted the head of the animal management team and asked if we could help - because how many people are around who know how to capture a wallaby?"

The male wallaby was yesterday recovering well in the stables at the college, and was eating again. It is still not clear whether the animal is wild or has come from a private collection. Flamingo Land near Pickering have also said it was not one of theirs.

Liz said: "I'm told there's a feral population in England but not in Yorkshire so whether he's come from a private collection or an animal attraction, I don't know, but what we do know is he's not ours.

"Certainly if nobody comes forward, we will definitely give him a home. As far as we're concerned it would be a very good subject for our students to learn from and we can accommodate him. But I'm sure the owner knows they are missing a wallaby. He's been named Wesley, after one of our members of staff, Wesley Johnson. He's very cuddly, so I'm sure that will go down well with everyone here at the college."

If you have any information about who owns the wallaby, please phone the college on 01904 772277.