Authorities and Good Samaritans Band Together to Rescue Wayward Wallaroo on the Loose in Illinois Town

A curious wallaroo found itself bouncing around an Illinois town last week, causing authorities to band together with good Samaritans to try and save the animal after it got loose from its owner’s yard. Cops in Peru, Illinois, about 95 miles from Chicago, chased after the wallaroo for two hours Wednesday as it roamed around town, the Associated Press reported.

Wallaroos are native to Australia and larger than wallabies but smaller than kangaroos. Fearing that the marsupial, named Wally, might get hit by a vehicle, Peru Police Chief Doug Bernabei shut down nearby roads, the AP wrote. However, the animal outsmarted everyone and headed to the river, the AP reported.

Two fishermen who were nearby as Wally entered the water used a fishing net to help capture and rescue the marsupial. They placed him in their boat and took him ashore.

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