Walkabout Lincolnshire wallaby Ant evades new capture attempt

Bennet's Wallaby Ant has evaded capture after escaping from a petting farm more than 10 days ago

A wallaby which went walkabout from a farm over 10 days ago has evaded the latest attempt to capture him.

Ant, who shares an enclosure with pal Dec, went solo when he disappeared from Tiny Steps Petting Farm near Bourne, Lincolnshire, earlier this month.

Staff said they resorted to laying a humane trap after two previous attempts to catch the escaped marsupial failed.

Volunteer Bret Whitcombe said although the trap had worked, Ant escaped by kicking it open and fleeing once again.

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Mr Whitcombe said Ant, who was originally reported missing on 5 January, was found in the humane trap on Saturday morning.

"We managed to get him out of the wooded area he was in just in time for him to kick and break the trap, so he's now on the loose again," he said.

"He's causing us lots of problems, bless him."

Ant was found inside the trap on Saturday morning, but made his escape after being moved a short distance

According to the petting farm's owners, the metal mesh door on the trap - more commonly used for dogs, foxes and other small UK mammals - was left almost "bent double".

In a post on Facebook, they said: "As you can imagine, there isn't too much call in the UK for a wallaby trap!"

Efforts to capture the escaped marsupial have also involved an RSPCA specialist who was called in to work alongside the volunteers.

Mr Whitcombe said they were now biding their time until the pouched runaway "settles down again".

"We've got a better - slightly larger - trap coming which will be a little bit less stressful for him," he said.

"Hopefully, we will see him very soon."

Ant's friend Dec is patiently awaiting his pal's return

Both Ant and Dec, the latter described as the "more cautious" of the pair, are Bennet's Wallabies.

They were born in the UK before they arrived at the farm in December.