Wild wallabies spotted on Crieff streets as Scottish population grows
Several wild wallabies have been spotted around Glascorrie Road in Crieff, Perthshire, prompting surprise and amusement among residents. Their presence matters because the animals are native to Australia, and the sightings point to a wild population in Scotland.
Perth and Kinross Council said the animals were part of a wild Scottish population and suggested reporting sightings to wildlife-tracking websites. Theories suggest they may descend from wallabies that escaped from wildlife parks; Scotland’s best-known colony lives on Inchconnachan Island, where about 60 red-necked wallabies were estimated to be living in 2011. They were introduced there in the 1940s, and a separate population is also found on the Isle of Man.
In short
- Wild wallabies have been seen in Crieff.
- The council says they belong to a wild Scottish population.
- Inchconnachan Island had an estimated 60 wallabies in 2011.
Explained simply
Wallabies are small relatives of kangaroos, native to Australia. The animals seen in Crieff are thought to belong to a wild population in Scotland, though their exact origins are uncertain.
Scotland’s best-known group lives on Inchconnachan, an island in Loch Lomond, where wallabies were introduced in the 1940s. One explanation for other wild groups is that they descend from animals that escaped from wildlife parks; a separate population also lives on the Isle of Man.
The sightings matter because they show that wallabies are living outside captivity in parts of Britain. Perth and Kinross Council has suggested recording sightings on wildlife-tracking websites, which can help build a picture of where the animals are found.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Strewth! Have you spotted the wild wallabies hopping around Crieff town centre?”.