Wallaby rescued by volunteers after sighting went viral
CHOPPY IS AT NORTHUMBERLAND COLLEGE ZOO SAFE AND SOUND
THE wallaby which went viral on social media after being spotted on the loose in Gateshead has been rescued by volunteers - more than a week after it was found wandering the streets.
Residents in Chopwell were shocked to see a wallaby outside their home on Wednesday, October 19, and after sharing footage of the unusual sighting on Facebook it racked up thousands of shares from dumbfounded members of the community.
Ten days after being spotted on the loose, volunteers from the community, Blyth Wildlife Rescue, Beastwatch UK and The Lost Dog Trapping Team have managed to rescue the wanderer and bring him to safety - and after a 12-hour rescue mission the wallaby has been appropriately named “Choppy” by volunteers.
Just before 5am on Saturday, Blyth Wildlife Rescue charity received a call from BWUK requesting their assistance to help with a trapped wallaby in Chopwell.
It had been contained for several hours with help from the local volunteers and The Lost Dog Trapping Team, who supplied and set up a large dog trap in a secluded area.
Blyth Wildlife Rescue mobilised an emergency medic team immediately, with three vehicles arriving on scene at 6.30am. Once mobilised, contact was made with charity vets Dr Allan and
Sharon Wright of Wrights Vets to request their attendance to administer sedation to allow safe onward transport.
Choppy had sustained a severe injury to his face after trying to get out of the trap, so medics had to ensure prompt action and a plan to prevent further injury and distress.
Once sedated, Choppy was removed from the trap, checked for life-threatening injuries and deemed fit for transport to the veterinary practice in Birtley. He received a full assessment including x-rays, which fortunately showed no fractures.
Due to his strength and determination to escape the trap, he sustained swelling and bruising to his head with bone exposed on his nose. The wound was cleaned and successfully sutured under general anaesthetic.
Arangements were made to transfer him to a secure home at Northumberland College Zoo at Kirkley Hall.
The medic team transported Choppy directly to the zoo under sedation, ensuring staff were ready and waiting for his arrival.
Choppy took a while to come around from the sedation but thankfully recovered over several hours.
Charity medics remained with Choppy during recovery and finally returned to the centre after the 12-hour operation to resume normal duties.
The zoological team will be monitoring him closely and continue post care before integrating him with the two resident females already on site.
Blyth Wildlife Rescue founder and senior medic John Anderson, who attended the rescue, said: “This was a long and stressful rescue for all involved, taking 12 hours from start to finish. There was a large amount of operational logistics involved, complicated by the last-minute nature of the emergency”.
He added: “We are grateful to all persons involved in the rescue mission. We are pleased the animal is now safe from harm and we look forward to further updates in Choppy’s progress”.