Latest news with #IlketshallStAndrew
The Guardian
10 hours ago
- General
- The Guardian
Two wallaby sightings reported in Suffolk
At first glance Steven Ellis thought the small creature in the distance was a deer, but he soon realised he was witnessing something far more unusual. Ellis was near the village of Ilketshall St Andrew in Suffolk when he took out his camera and took a photograph of the animal, which turned out to be a wallaby. 'We've got quite a few deer around, so I thought I must be mistaken,' he said. 'But then I thought it was a kangaroo. I don't think they're far off. I stood there thinking: 'Who do I ring to tell them?' But I thought no one was going to believe me.' Wallabies are native to Australia but small wild populations descended from escapees do exist in the UK and sightings have become more common, especially in the Isle of Man. Ellis's encounter on Tuesday was not to be the last. Suffolk police received a call of another sighting the next day about seven miles away. The animal hopped from the road into a field just outside of the village of Wissett. A spokesperson for Suffolk police said that despite the brief flurry of attention no further sightings had been confirmed, and no individual or organisation had come forward to claim ownership of the animal. Police are asking the public to report any sightings directly to them. Occasional escapes from private collections have also been documented in recent years. Wallabies are generally considered not dangerous to humans, but they can be unpredictable and should be treated with caution. Those hand-reared or accustomed to human presence can be gentle, but others can be easily startled especially if they feel threatened.
Daily Mail
11 hours ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Moment runaway wallaby is spotted bouncing around the English countryside
A runaway wallaby has been caught hopping around the English countryside - as police launch an appeal to help find it. The small mammal was spotted outside the village of Ilketshall St Andrew, near Bungay, Suffolk on Tuesday. Wallabies are usually associated with Australia and New Zealand but sightings in the UK are becoming more common especially on the Isle of Man. Suffolk Police were called to a sighting the following day and have urged anyone who sees the animal to contact them. Steven Ellis, who works on the land nearby, snapped the wallaby on his camera after initially thinking it was a deer. He said: 'We've got quite a few deer around so I thought I must be mistaken. 'But then I thought it was a kangaroo - I don't think they're far off. 'I stood there thinking 'who do I ring to tell them' but I thought no one is going to believe me. 'I've never seen one around here ever before. It's a very strange sighting. 'You'd expect to see it on holiday in Australia.' Steven added he managed to get hold of his friends who strolled up with the greeting: 'G'day mate'. The wallaby then disappeared into the bushes and Stephen said he had not seen it since. Suffolk Police were also called on Wednesday (August 13) after a wallaby sighting near Halesworth. The force encouraged anyone who has spotted the animal to contact them. It is not clear whether it is wild or has escaped captivity.
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Sightings of mystery wallaby on the loose on Norfolk-Suffolk border
A wallaby has been spotted running loose in countryside on the Norfolk and Suffolk border, triggering a police appeal. The first sighting of the animal, commonly associated with Australia, was on Monday in the village of Ilketshall St Andrew, with footage was showing it emerge from bushes before bounding across farmland. It was followed a day later by another report of the animal in Wisset, near Halesworth, about seven miles away from the earlier sighting. A spokesperson for Suffolk Constabulary told The Independent: "If spotted residents [are] asked to call [the] police or alternatively the RSPCA.' With no local animal sanctuaries yet to come forward to claim the wallaby as missing, it remains unclear whether the wallaby is an escapee, or one of Britain's wild wallabies. And locals have spoken of their surprise at the sightings. "He's getting around isn't he?" a worker at local pub The Huntsman and Hounds in Halesworth told The Independent, confirming that customers were aware of the wallaby being spotted. They added: "He's a long way from home." Wallabies in the UK are not uncommon, with wild colonies twiof red-necked wallabies living in Scotland and also on the Isle of Man, where over 800 are known to live and breed.
The Independent
a day ago
- General
- The Independent
Sightings of mystery wallaby on the loose on Norfolk-Suffolk border
A wallaby has been spotted running loose in countryside on the Norfolk and Suffolk border, triggering a police appeal. The first sighting of the animal, commonly associated with Australia, was on Monday in the village of Ilketshall St Andrew, with footage was showing it emerge from bushes before bounding across farmland. It was followed a day later by another report of the animal in Wisset, near Halesworth, about seven miles away from the earlier sighting. A spokesperson for Suffolk Constabulary told The Independent:"If spotted residents [are] asked to call [the] police or alternatively the RSPCA.' With no local animal sanctuaries yet to come forward to claim the wallaby as missing, it remains unclear whether the wallaby is an escapee, or one of Britain's wild wallabies. And locals have spoken of their surprise at the sightings. "He's getting around isn't he?" a worker at local pub The Huntsman and Hounds in Halesworth told The Independent, confirming that customers were aware of the wallaby being spotted. They added: "He's a long way from home." Wallabies in the UK are not uncommon, with wild colonies twiof red-necked wallabies living in Scotland and also on the Isle of Man, where over 800 are known to live and breed.
