Escaped wallaby leads police on chase through Dutch city
An escaped wallaby leads police on a chase through the Dutch city of Middenmeer after a resident mistook the hopping marsupial for a kangaroo near soccer fields. North Holland officers and a veterinarian safely sedated and captured the pet, named Skippy, who had gotten loose the night before and was returned home.
Key Takeaways
- North Holland Police responded Sunday in Middenmeer to a report of a kangaroo near soccer fields.
- The animal was a wallaby that hopped across a busy road and sparked a city chase.
- A veterinarian sedated Skippy for a safe capture before the owner reclaimed the pet.
- Dutch law since July 1, 2024, bans buying and selling pet wallabies, with grandfathered pets allowed to stay.
What sparked the chase through Middenmeer?
According to UPI, the North Holland Police Unit answered an unusual call Sunday in Middenmeer. A resident reported a kangaroo wandering near soccer fields.
Officers soon realized the marsupial was a wallaby, not a kangaroo. Police wrote on social media that a kangaroo on the loose in Middenmeer was not on their expected shift checklist.
The wallaby was observed hopping through a busy road, then led authorities on a chase through the city. Stories like this sit alongside other odd animal dispatches in Bizarre News & Florida Man.
How did officers safely capture Skippy the wallaby?
The chase ended when a veterinarian sedated the animal so it could be captured safely. Skippy’s owner arrived on the scene and explained that the pet had escaped the previous night.
After the sedation and handover, Skippy was safely returned home. Police had framed the call as the kind of surprise that rarely appears on a routine duty list.
Are pet wallabies still legal in the Netherlands?
A Dutch law that took effect on July 1, 2024, prohibits the buying and selling of pet wallabies. Animals owned before that date may remain with their owners for the rest of their lifespans.
That grandfathering rule means pets such as Skippy can stay with owners who already had them before the ban, even as new sales are barred. The Middenmeer case ended with the wallaby back in that existing home.
What did police say about the unusual report?
North Holland officers posted that they expect a lot during a police shift, but a kangaroo loose in Middenmeer was not on their list. The social-media note captured how out of place the call felt for a Dutch city beat.
Community officers also shared Instagram updates from the response. Those posts, cited by UPI, helped document how a mistaken kangaroo sighting became a wallaby capture and a safe reunion with Skippy’s owner.