A wallaby recently sighted in Severn has triggered a county government search for a wild animal native to Australia, Anne Arundel County police said yesterday.
"We are in coordination with animal control in getting a game plan together to capture and place it," said Sgt. Shawn Urbas, a county police spokesman.
A world away from its natural habitat, the wallaby -- a marsupial akin to a kangaroo -- may be the animal that escaped from a wildlife park near Davidsonville several years ago, officials said.
Wallabies have claws and strong legs. They are smaller than kangaroos, about 3 feet tall, but resemble them in their speed and appearance. They are not considered dangerous to people, but police said anyone who sees it should keep a sizable distance.
"We're going to see what we can do for this exotic little animal and find it a proper home other than the woods of Severn," Lt. Thomas Wilson said.
