Native Aussie animal spotted over 15,000km from home in 'surreal' moment
There are millions of them here in Australia but to spot a wallaby 15,000 kilometres away on a remote island in Scotland is deemed an "absolute rarity" — and it's a unique experience two locals were thrilled to share.
Craig Ferguson, 21, and Greig McBride, 31, have explored much of their home country but admitted to Yahoo News spotting a wallaby off the banks of Loch Lomond, located over 40 kilometres from Glasgow, was nothing short of "surreal".
"This is the first time in my life I've seen a wallaby and to watch it hop around in the wild was crazy... we managed to catch sight of two," Craig said. The pair camped overnight in freezing temperatures on Inchconnachan Island, known locally as Wallaby Island, and were pinching themselves when they spotted the illusive animals in the chilly forest.
"People know about Wallaby Island in Scotland but aren't sure if they're genuinely there or if it's a myth... I knew they were real but thought I had no chance of seeing them," he told Yahoo.
A population of red-necked wallabies were introduced to the island in the 1940s as part of Countess Fiona Bryde Gore's private exotic animal collection. The animals, native to much of Australia's east coast and Tasmania, adapted to their new environment and have been living there ever since, with reports the animals even hop across the frozen loch and navigate the woodlands during severe winters.
There was initially 60 of the animals introduced to the moody landscape but it's unknown exactly how many still inhabit the island.
"There's no exact figure of how many are left," Craig explained. "It was said that in their peak there was maybe about 50 to 60, which is obviously a lot, but now people think there's probably less than 10".
"I genuinely felt as if we'd spotted a rare animal and that's what they are in Scotland. Not many people here can say they've seen a wallaby in their own country."
😲 Extraordinary moment wallaby turns tables on invasive predator
🏴 Kookaburras spotted in wilds of Scotland by excited adventurer
📸 Hidden camera captures adorable moment with rare marsupial
It is feared the invasive species threatens Scotland's native capercaillie, the country's most endangered bird. It is the largest of the grouse birds in the country and its cousin, the red grouse, is famously featured on the label of Scotch whiskey Famous Grouse — with millions of bottles exported around the world every year. However, others claim the two animals have been able to coexist on the island.
The wallaby population in Scotland is not the only one in the UK. A University study mapped 95 confirmed wallaby sightings across the UK in 2020 with most being in southern England.
An English driver was shocked to spot what he thought was a "kangaroo" hopping down a Cornwall road in the country's south last May and followed it for over 10 minutes until he realised it was actually a wallaby.
"I was a bit shocked to see a wallaby in Cornwall, it was quite the sight to see," Kieran Adams told local media. Another wallaby was also reported roaming the streets in Cornwall in 2020, and a population of the marsupials live in the Midlands, with a wildlife enthusiast who captured footage of the animals in a snow-covered field telling Yahoo News he was utterly elated to locate them.
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