Strewth Sheila - Wallaby is safely rescued by the RSPCA after going missing in Cambridgeshire
Last updated 11/28/2011 9:38:46 AM
Wallaby is safely rescued by the RSPCA after going missing in Cambridgeshire
You wouldn't expect to see a wallaby on the loose in the English countryside, but the RSPCA leapt into action to safely rescue one spotted in the village of Isleham in Cambridgeshire.
RSPCA officers were called after the red-necked wallaby called Sheila escaped from her enclosure. Wallabies can cover the ground exceptionally quickly and reach speeds of up to 30 mph.
Although Sheila had not ventured too far, she was running loose in nearby fields, and her owner was unable to catch her and bring her back home. Chief Inspector Mark Thompson, Inspector Richard Lythgoe and vet Rob Gould managed to get close enough to Sheila to tranquilise her so that she could be collected and reunited with her partner Bruce. When she came round, she was fine.
Mark said: "In my 25 years with the RSPCA this is the first wallaby I have had to tranquilise. Wallabies can travel at exceptionally fast speeds, so it was essential that we managed to get her back safely. We are just pleased to have helped."
Her owner explained: "I really had no idea how we were going to get her back, so we are so relieved that she was returned safe and well and no worse for her ordeal. I am just very grateful to the RSPCA and everyone who helped with this rescue."