OLATHE, Kan. — Drivers in Olathe had to do a double-take Sunday night when they reported seeing a tiny kangaroo bouncing down the road.
Turns out, it was a family’s pet wallaby who escaped from their backyard.
Wally is a two-year-old, 40-pound, 3.5 feet tall pet wallaby who spends his days, “hopping, grazing on grass, eating, drinking and just laying around,” said owner Jason Gaut.
The Gaut family bought him two years ago at an exotic animal auction in Macon, Mo.
“He was just really fun to hold and I fell in love with him,” 10-year-old Brianne remembered of their first meeting.
But the curious marsupial doesn’t sit still for long, and one unlocked gate in the backyard led to his escape Sunday night.
“It was very disappointing to lose him because he’s been a part of our family for a long time,” Gaut said.
Drivers reported seeing him hopping down the road next to the New Century Air Center. But with deputies hot on his tail, they were able to capture him unharmed.
“They clocked him running about 20 m.p.h by the way, so he was flying at one point,” Gaut said.
This was Wally’s first escape and the Gaut family hopes to make it his last by adding extra locks on their gates. As for owning a pet wallaby, doing so is legal in Johnson County.
