Wallaby rescued in Australia to be released

A marsupial smaller than kangaroo called wallaby, rescued by ferry crew members from harbour waters here in Australia, is recovering and set for release on Friday, an official said.

The animal was taken to a veterinary facility after rescuers looped it on board their boat late Thursday, Xinhua news agency reported.

It was X-rayed to check how much seawater it had swallowed. It might be released by Friday afternoon, an animal welfare group said.

The female wallaby was spotted struggling just over two weeks after one of the males made global headlines for hopping along the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge on January 16.

Wallabies, like the koalas are native to Australia, and were "vulnerable" because of the lack of wildlife corridors in newly developed urban areas, Wildlife volunteer Joan Reid was quoted as saying.

Marsupials are mammals that carry their young in pouches and are found in the wild throughout the country.

The male marsupial rescued earlier was found to be under serious, stressed condition. It later recovered and was released back into the wild in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park.

--IANS

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