Gotcha! Missing wallaby shows up in Magherafelt

The wallaby who went walkabout in Tyrone has turned up safe and in bouncing form in County Londonderry.

Mervyn Young from Castledawson said the young wallaby showed up at the Killyneese Road, Magherafelt.

The two-year-old male was last seen about six miles from home in a field at Brantry near Eglish.

He had been on the "hop" since he burrowed out of his enclosure in Moy at the end of May. He had evaded all attempts to find him.

Now, his adventure is over.

Mr Young said he was surprised to get a phone call from a friend on Thursday afternoon: "Maurice Brown rang and said he had bumped into a kangaroo when he was out walking the dog.

"I sent my son James out and he ran up the field to see this kangaroo.

"We have it corralled into an enclosure we keep the ducks in. He is bouncing about and he is very fine looking."

Mr Young said he thought it was all "a wind-up" and a joke when he first heard about it.

"I didn't think he'd have turned up on my doorstep, it must be 30 miles from the Moy to here."

The wallaby is part of a family unit - two females and two babies - owned by George and TG Troughton who keep the animals as pets.

The one who went walkabout is actually the daddy of the group.

Mr Troughton arrived to reclaim his wallaby on Thursday evening and eventually, after a lot of chasing about, he managed to grab it by the tail and bring it back to its home in the Moy.