One would have to look twice in this country when you come across what looks to be a wallaby. Well this is what happened in a field in Araglin recently when a wallaby was spotted in a tillage field by Donal O’Leary of the Irish Farmers Journal. Araglin Animal Sanctuary is the home for a vast range of animals including eleven wallabies and sure enough, one of the eleven decided to go for a stroll.
Andrew Boyle who runs the animal sanctuary went to re-capture the animal and said the wallaby was quite easy to catch. “I just walked up behind him, caught him by the tail and brought him back,” he said.
The marsupial had been missing for two weeks when he was found and evidently, it wasn’t his first escape from the farm. There had been reports of one seen over the county bounds in Ballyduff in the past.
Araglin Animal Sanctuary cares for animals and birds that are no longer suitable as pets, injured wildlife and exotic species.
Amongst the residents, there are lemurs, wallabies, an emu, dogs and owls and even a kestrel that entered the sanctuary after breaking its wing.
“Many of the animals we have are ex-pets; for example pigs that have outgrown their original surroundings or more exotic animals that need specialist care. Due to the economic downturn people have found their circumstances changed and are no longer able to give the care needed to their pets.”
The sanctuary was broken into in November 2013 and there was a lot taken including animals and birds such as rabbits, guinea pigs, hens and 8 parrots. No one was ever caught for the crime.
