May 14, 2012

The Wallaby Question

Yesterday afternoon I received an email asking about my recent posts on sightings of wallabies in the UK. Or, more specifically, asking about “the mystery” behind their presence in the country. Well, let’s get things straightened out.

While it would undeniably be amazing to come face to face with a wallaby in the UK, that doesn’t mean the event would be in any fashion mysterious. In fact, there is no mystery behind the presence of the wallabies of the UK at all.

Back in 2009, I wrote about this very issue for my regular Lair of the Beasts column at Mania.com, and showed that, in reality, the presence of these creatures is easily explainable. They – or, rather, the original ones that kick-started all the fuss – were escapees from private zoos and enclosures.

And, yes, I know that the “circus escapee” or “zoo escapee” explanation for certain cryptids has time and again been proved to have no validity, but in the case of the British wallaby it most certainly does have validity! The history of the escapes has been well-documented for decades.

So, yes, there are wild wallabies in the UK – and a lot of them too. And, yes, to see one up close would be an unforgettable experience. But, that doesn’t make it a mysterious experience. Just an unusual one.

Filed under Animal Escapees, Cryptozoology, Lair of the Beasts, Mystery Kangaroos, Out of Place