Residents in Cornwall had a ‘strange’ encounter with a wallaby last week as the marsupial was spotted wandering around an industrial estate.
The bizarre sighting has left residents baffled after a local zoo confirmed that ‘all our wallabies are accounted for’, leaving the mystery surrounding who owns it or where it came from unsolved.
Neil Hardyman was on his way to work at a business park in Liskeard, off the A390, at 6am last Wednesday when he spotted the wallaby looking lost and conspicuously out of place.
He filmed the unusual encounter and his friend Darren Marlow shared it in a local Facebook group.
Mr Hardyman said: ‘I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw it.’
Social media users on the forum have been wondering where the wallaby has escaped from and how it ended up in an industrial estate in Liskeard.
Local animal park Porfell Wildlife Park and Sanctuary, which is located at Trecangate in Lanreath, outside Liskeard, said it has been contacted by people about the escaped wallaby.
However the zoo confirmed that all its animals are accounted for.
The wallaby was seen hopping around an industrial estate in Cornwall at 6am last Wednesday
But the bizarre sighting has left residents baffled after a local zoo confirmed that ‘all our wallabies accounted for’
It said: ‘We are aware of a wallaby on the loose in the Liskeard area. All of our wallabies are accounted for and are safe in their field.’
This is not the first time wallabies have been spotted hopping around in Cornwall.
A wallaby was previously captured on camera appearing unfazed as it made its way down the A39, near Newquay at around 10.30pm on August 22 2024.
Henry Hallam, 23, from Truro, managed to capture footage of the animal on his phone. At the time he said it ‘stopped to give us a stare’ before moving on its way.
Henry said: ‘We were driving along in Fraddon, and all of a sudden were slowing up as this kangaroo was hopping along.
‘He paused in front of the car lights before resuming his journey down the road.
‘The kangaroo was acting much as though there was nothing amiss, and he was meant to be there.
‘He stopped to give us a stare and then continued on his way. How strange.’
Sadly the marsupial that Mr Hallam had spotted and filmed was later discovered dead by the side of the road after being hit by a car.
The incident was reported to Devon and Cornwall Police who said the dead animal was reported lying dead by the side of the A39 on August 26 and was dropped off at a local vet.
Others have been seen around mainly eastern Cornwall over the years.
