A WALLABY has been spotted in the Colne Valley – 12,000 miles from home.

At least two people have seen the four-foot animal this week, once on Marsden Moor and also near Cop Hill, Slaithwaite.

It is thought to be a red-necked or Bennett’s Wallaby, which is native to the much warmer climes of Australia.

One of the sightings was made on Monday by Diana Crean, of Slaithwaite, who was walking her dog on paths off Coalgate, Cop Hill.

She said: "It was my dog who first spotted the animal in the field and I realised immediately it was a wallaby.

"It was about four-feet tall with very big feet and a long rat-like tail.

"It seemed quite tame but then the dog started to chase after it and it vanished.

"I certainly got very close to it and could clearly see the red neck markings".

The other sighting was made by a woman walking on Marsden Moor with a friend.

She first saw it hopping across a field on Saturday and then again in the same area on Sunday.

She said: "The little red-necked wallaby was in the same field again on Sunday, at about 4pm.

"He’s not afraid of people – three of us were within 20ft of him on the road.

"He seems to be alone rather than part of a group. I’ve heard of a colony in the Peak District so its possible he may have travelled from there. Or perhaps he’s escaped from somewhere?

"It was -3°C that night so I hope he can survive the cold."

The red-necked, or Bennett’s, wallabies, are one of Australia’s largest species.

The Peak District colony is descended from a collection kept in the 1930s by landowner Captain Courtney Brocklehurst which were released into an area known as The Roaches, on the Staffordshire-Derbyshire border.

Wallabies have also been kept at Brooklands Garden Centre in Scholes.

l Have you seen the mystery wallaby?

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Wallaby facts

The proper name for the Bennett’s Wallaby, pictured, is Macropus rufogriseus

They are native to Eastern Australia, stretching from Queensland to South Australia

They reach an average height of 90cm

They are lone creatures but will band together in small colonies

The wallabies spend much of the day resting up in vegetation