Search underway for missing pet wallaby in rural Oklahoma town

BLANCHARD, Okla. (AP) — A search is underway in the rural Oklahoma community of Blanchard for a missing pet wallaby.

The animal, which is similar to a kangaroo, but smaller, escaped its backyard enclosure on Wednesday and is believed to be in some thick woods near the edge of town, said Diana Daniels, city clerk in Blanchard, which is about 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of Oklahoma City.

Daniels says the animal is not typically aggressive, but might kick if it’s cornered.

“They can hurt somebody if they approach it and try to corner it,” she said.

It is legal to own a wallaby in Oklahoma, but the animal should be registered with the city, Daniels said.

The wallaby’s owner, Gil Gilbreath, uses it for petting zoos. He tells Fox 25 the animal is typically shy and “a little skittish.”

“I think he’s probably out in that tall grass, maybe, because he likes that tall grass, likes to hide in it,” Gilbreath told the television station.

Gilbreath said he’s still working to tame the animal and as a result, “he’s going to be hard to catch when we find him.”