A 3-year-old wallaby was rescued at a New Jersey Walmart some 24 hours after escaping from his animal sanctuary home.
The critter, named Rex, got out of his enclosure at the Lots of Love Farm in Williamstown on Monday night, according a Facebook post from the sanctuary. His disappearance sparked a desperate search that included volunteers searching by foot and a drone by air.
Rex was eventually located Tuesday evening at the Williamstown Walmart off the Black Horse Pike, close to where he was first spotted following his escape the night before. Monroe Township Police received several reports of a loose “kangaroo” that was nearly hit by a car as it crossed the street near East Malaga Road and South Black Horse Pike Monday night, as well as calls about a wallaby, CBS News reported.
A group of teenagers and a parent ultimately helped wrangle Rex, who’s now safe and sound back at home.
“Well, if this just didn’t become the BEST NIGHT EVER!” Lots of Love wrote on Facebook Tuesday night.
”With the help of some really cool kids and a really cool dad, we caught Rex at the Walmart!” the post continued. “Thank you everyone, you’re all amazing. He must really like Walmart!!”
While it’s unclear how the wallaby got out of his enclosure, Ron Layden, who owns Lots of Love, told CBS News that it’s possible someone accidentally left Rex’s pen open, likely around 4 or 5 p.m. on Monday.
