The wallaby spotted last week in Boucherville, Que., remains on the loose. According to Sauvetage Animal Rescue, teams remain in communication as to what to do with the animal, which was first reported as a kangaroo, that has been spotted in Boucherville fields on the weekend. It is not confirmed whether the animal is a kangaroo or a wallaby, with Sauvetage Animal Rescue calling it a wallaby, and the Quebec Ministry of Wildlife suspecting that it’s a young red kangaroo. The ministry said it will be able to confirm the exact species once it is captured. “We are currently looking at all the options available to make things happen in the safest way possible for the animal,” the Animal Rescue said on its Facebook page. Animal rescue has said that Quebec’s Wildlife Ministry has not given permission to capture the animal. “However, we continue to monitor the situation very closely and take the necessary steps,” the agency said. “Remember that we have at our disposal the required equipment, including a sedative rifle, as well as the support of an experienced wildlife veterinarian, ready to accompany us in a safe, professional and framed intervention. So we have serious, competent, and available resources to come to help the animal.” Galahad SPCA first reported that the animal was loose on the South Shore after it escaped from a boarding stable where it was being kept. The agency said the habitat was inadequate for a wallaby. Wildlife Rescue is currently urging curious onlookers to stay away from the area. “Your presence, even with the best intentions in the world, greatly affects the file and may complicate the continuation of operations,” they said. “We ask you to trust us. We’re here, monitoring the situation very closely, and we’ll keep you updated as soon as possible.” The agency said that it would like to act, but must respect the rules. “Unfortunately, it’s often big events like this that highlight some major loopholes in our animal management system, and then lead to hope for concrete changes,” said Animal Rescue. The wallaby is doing well and being monitored. Animal Rescue agent Éric Dussault explained on a livestream that a veterinarian can capture an animal provided three conditions are met: “When I was talking to the Longueuil police, they said, ‘Well, you’ve got your public safety issue—there’s the highway right there. So do you really want him to go throw himself in front of a car?’” he said. Dussault explained, however, that to capture the animal, he would need a vet “who wasn’t afraid of getting roughed up” because it is not as simple as shooting it with a tranquillizer dart and picking up the sleeping animal. The Wildlife Ministry also said that anesthetizing an animal with a dart carries risks and requires specialized expertise that not every veterinarian possesses. “In fact, few people in Quebec are well-versed in and regularly perform this type of procedure,” said spokesperson Daniel Labonté. “First, the animal can be seriously injured by the use of inappropriate darts by a shooter who lacks sufficient experience. The drugs used must be carefully selected and dosed according to the animal’s species and its stress level during the procedure. Furthermore, an animal hit by a dart will take several minutes to become immobilized. In a panic, it could travel a significant distance if not confined at the time of the shot. “It will therefore quickly be lost from sight and fall unconscious without support or supervision.” Dussault explained, for example, that when he was called to sedate and transport a deer that had gotten onto the REM train tracks on the West Island, it required a lot of work and risk. No significant danger The Quebec wildlife ministry said it is assessing the situation to “determine the safest way to recover the animal while minimizing risks to both the animal and the public (particularly vehicles).” “At this time, the animal does not pose a significant danger to the public, and during the summer months, its survival in the wild is not threatened,” Labonté said. “It is important that people avoid approaching the animal so that it remains in the area where it is currently located. Acting hastily would lead to taking unnecessary risks to the animal’s health or to the people attempting to capture it.” Labonté added that it is prohibited for anyone to capture an animal without a permit. “Capturing these species also carries risks for both the animal and the handlers,” he said. “When frightened, a kangaroo may leap erratically at high speed and collide with fences, trees, rocks, or other obstacles. This can result in fractures, dislocations, spinal injuries, or muscle damage.” Labonté said the investigation is not complete about where the animal came from, but the information the ministry has currently suggests that it was being kept illegally. Wallaby and kangaroo They are often mistaken for each other, but wallabies and kangaroos are very different animals. Kangaroos are much taller (as tall as eight feet), with longer legs. Wallabies have more compact legs and rarely get higher than 3′2″. Wallabies are also brighter with two or three different colour variations, whereas kangaroos are typically more uniform and muted colour-wise (brown or grey). Basic facts:
