Colorado residents report seeing missing wallaby Surprise
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June 19, 2020
AURORA, Colo. (AP) — Surprise lived up to its name when a pair of Colorado residents made an unexpected sighting of a wallaby that recently escaped from an animal sanctuary.
The male wallaby named Surprise escaped from the Zoology Foundation in Larkspur two weeks ago and made an appearance Tuesday in Aurora, well beyond its natural habitats in Australia and New Guinea, The Sentinel reported.
Two residents reported seeing what they thought was a kangaroo around 7:30 a.m., Zoology Foundation General Manager Anna Miller said.
The wallaby could be mistaken for a young kangaroo, with a similar appearance and color but standing 3 feet (0.91 meters) tall and weighing between 50 and 60 pounds (23 and 27 kilograms).
Surprise may have been spooked after leaving the foundation and traveled the 39 miles (63 kilometers) north from Larkspur to Aurora, Miller said.
"They do travel very quickly," Miller said.
The species can move along at a pace around 15 mph (24 kph).
The wallaby may be bedding down during the heat of the day, the nonprofit foundation said.
Surprise should not be approached if he is spotted again because he is skittish and may travel farther away from the sanctuary, Miller said.
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