Wallaby goes on St Ives walkabout after zoo escape

The wayward wallaby had got free from Johnsons of Old Hurst

A wallaby that escaped from a zoo and went on a lockdown walkabout was caught by police miles away from its home.

The marsupial was cornered in a garden in St Ives, Cambridgeshire, on Wednesday night.

Police said the animal escaped from the zoo in Old Hurst, about five miles (8km) away, and had had "quite a trip".

After trying to "play fight" an officer, who was unharmed, it was finally captured and safely returned to its owner.

"A runner had his evening exercise take an unexpected twist last night when he spotted what he thought was a kangaroo on the loose in St Ives," Cambridgeshire Police said on Facebook.

"The curious critter was first seen in Ramsey Road just before 11pm, but was in fact a wallaby which had escaped from Johnsons of Old Hurst, at least 24 hours beforehand."

The wallaby was safely returned home just before midnight, police said.

Officers from the the force's Rural Crime Action Team caught the meandering marsupial while it was "taking a break in a nearby garden", wrapped it in a blanket and drove it home to its owner.