Latest news with #CrazyCrittersExperience
Daily Record
05-05-2025
- General
- Daily Record
Dumfries and Galloway search for escaped wallaby has 'exhausted all possible options'
Three-year-old Parma wallaby Wallace remains on the loose after his escape from Crazy Critters Experience. The search for an escaped wallaby has 'exhausted all possible options' of finding the little creature. Wallace got out of his enclosure from Crazy Critters Experience at Johnstonebridge on April 24. Since then, a huge search has taken place including drones, dogs and experts from Galloway Mountain Rescue Team. But the three-year-old Parma wallaby remains on the loose. In a Facebook post from Crazy Fritters Experience owner Luke Mitchell, he said: 'It is with great sadness we announce we have exhausted all possible options of finding Wallace. 'Eight days from morning until night, little sleep, not even managed to finish a meal in eight days. 'We have had thermal and image recognition drones from • Local game keeper • 33 Air Solutions • Galloway Mountain rescue 'We have covered acres upon acres of land and forestry. 'We have had scent trained dogs and tracking dogs from UK Deer Track and Recovery in and neither have managed to trace a scent. 'We have searched mornings, afternoons, nights, early hours and had no success. 'We have made traps and left familiar items along with supplement food and had no results 'We have ran out of options to try and locate where he is, all evidence is suggesting he is nowhere near, in fact there's no evident other than possible sightings that he was 'loose', the lack of traceability or even signs of wallaby are none existent. 'I am hopeful and praying that Wallace has gone off on his own and will be found/seen or make his way home soon so this search leads onto a location or some form or intel to his whereabouts. 'Please continue to keep your eyes peeled and call us immediately if you see any signs of him.' It is believed on the night Wallace escaped he had been frightened by dogs and he hurt himself while getting out of his enclosure. The three-year-old is thought to be the only Parma wallaby ever to be hand-reared after he rejected by his mum. The small marsupial native to forests and densely-vegetated areas of northeastern New South Wales, Australia. They are described as being 'about the size of a stout cat' and live mainly under thick plant cover in the wild, only active at night when they emerge to feed on grasses and small plants. They are so shy and elusive, Parma wallabies were thought to be extinct until their rediscovery in the 1960s. Anyone who can help or thinks they have seen Wallace should call Luke Mitchell from Crazy Critters Experience on 07546 912001.
Daily Record
30-04-2025
- General
- Daily Record
Mountain rescue experts join search for escaped wallaby in Dumfries and Galloway
Mountain rescue experts have been helping in the ongoing search to find an escaped wallaby Little Wallace has been missing since he got out of his enclosure from Crazy Critters Experience at Johnstonebridge on Friday night. A huge search of the surrounding countryside has taken place, with drones helping to scour the area. However, the three-year-old Parma wallaby has still to be found. On Tuesday, Galloway Mountain Rescue Team's drone pilots were called out to help with the search. In a Facebook post, they said: 'Despite the best efforts of our pilots, equipped with state of the art drones and thermal imaging, there's been no sign of him yet. 'If you're in the area, please keep an eye out and report any sightings to Crazy Critters.' It is believed Wallace was frightened by dogs on Friday night, causing him to escape. The little animal hurt himself in the process. Wallace was rejected by his mum and is thought to be the only Parma wallaby ever to be hand-reared. The small marsupial native to forests and densely-vegetated areas of northeastern New South Wales, Australia. They are described as being 'about the size of a stout cat' and live mainly under thick plant cover in the wild, only active at night when they emerge to feed on grasses and small plants. They are so shy and elusive, Parma wallabies were thought to be extinct until their rediscovery in the 1960s.
ITV News
29-04-2025
- General
- ITV News
Wallace The Wallaby: Mountain Rescue volunteers join the search for missing marsupial near Lockerbie
Mountain Rescue Volunteers have joined the search in Dumfries and Galloway for a wallaby that escaped from its enclosure. Three-year-old Wallace has been missing from Crazy Critters Experience, near Lockerbie, since Friday 25 April 2025. The company provides animal education to visitors and workshops for disabled adults and young people in care. Luke Mitchell, owner of Crazy Critters Experience, says he was told by a neighbour that a group of dogs were barking nearby after being let off the lead on Friday night. Luke discovered Wallace was missing the next morning, he said: "I had gone round to say hello to all the animals and then realised Wallace wasn't there - I hit instant panic. It's been a search party morning to night everyday since. "My theory is that he's somewhere nearby, most likely in a shed or hidden under something quite discreet. "We've had thermal drones out and we've picked up on every thermal image, even as much as some of the cows pat. We've checked everything and there's nothing nearby. "But the wallaby's behaviour is that they don't travel too far too quickly. The Mountain and Rescue team are out today with a drone. If we don't have any luck with that, I'm hoping to get a dog that can scent track." Stewart Gibson, from Galloway Mountain Rescue team, said: "We're looking for any piece of colour or shape that looks unusual and doesn't fit in. We have got software which will take the video, download it and send it to the servers for analysis. "It'll come back with grid reference and coordinates for anything suspicious, we can then send people to go and see if it's anything." Luke has been hand rearing Wallace since he was a joey, he added: "Wallace definitely has personality. He's quite temperamental, for example if it's me going into his enclosure, I'll just say do you want chin scratches? He'll come right up. "But if someone else went into his enclosure, he'd be darting off in a heartbeat." Luke says the local community has been helping with the search, including gamekeepers who have brought their drones. He said: "The power of social media, everyone has been sharing it everywhere in their local groups. The neighbours across the road have been amazing. They've been out searching with me morning to night at times. "First thing they should do is contact Crazy Critters Experience. Let me know where you are and try to get a video if possible. "Definitely do not try and catch him, you could scare him. Even if you didn't scare him, Wallaby's have quite delicate bones and it requires specialist handling."
