A wallaby has been spotted hopping around Liskeard in Cornwall, prompting excitement, speculation and the inevitable need for an official warning asking people not to chase it.
Local businessman Scot Weller was driving into town at about 5.20am on Monday 24 August when he saw what he first thought was a dog sitting in the road.
Then it stood up and bounced towards the cattle market, which is a fairly decisive way for a suspected German Shepherd to lose the argument.
The animal's origin remains unknown, but sightings have continued and the wandering wallaby has become the talk of the town.
It does not belong to the sanctuary
Porfell Wildlife Park and Sanctuary says all of its animals are safe and secure. The loose wallaby is not one of its escapees.
The sanctuary has received so many calls that it issued a public statement in capital letters: do not try to catch it.
Staff warned that chasing, cornering or surrounding a frightened wallaby could cause it to bolt into roads, fences or other hazards. It may also react unpredictably and somebody attempting an amateur rescue could injure both the animal and themselves.
Please do not feed it either
The sanctuary also asked people not to offer the animal human food or garden scraps, which can cause serious digestive problems.
A healthy wallaby can feed naturally on grass, herbs, ferns, brambles and other vegetation. Cornwall, unusually well prepared for this exact emergency, contains quite a lot of those things.
The RSPCA's advice is to keep a safe distance, observe a healthy wallaby from afar and leave it alone. If the animal is injured, trapped or in immediate danger, people should contact the RSPCA emergency line.
Are there wild wallabies in Cornwall?
Weller said he had since heard suggestions that wallabies may already be living in the wider area, including possible groups around Seaton Valley, Stoke Climsland and land near Liskeard Hospital.
That has not established where this particular animal came from. For now, it is simply a wallaby of mystery conducting an early-morning tour of Cornwall without providing an itinerary.
OutOut verdict
Britain is often told to expect invasive technology, political chaos or unusual weather.
Nobody mentioned a marsupial bouncing past the cattle market before breakfast.
Liskeard's instructions are straightforward: enjoy the sighting, keep your distance and resist the British instinct to solve every wildlife incident with a cardboard box and half a digestive biscuit.
