Animal cruelty officers were left scratching their heads Tuesday after discovering a wallaby — yes, the Australian cousin to the kangaroo — inside a garage on Long Island.
Nassau County SPCA officials had received a tip about the marsupial and found him soon-after, caged and locked up at a East Rockaway residence owned by Larry Wallach, who is a self-described expert on exotic animals, according to ABC.
The pouched mammal, which is smaller and less aggressive than its Australian counterpart, appeared frail and malnourished when officers stumbled upon his tiny, fenced in enclosure.
“There is not adequate heat in there, there’s no food or water and there are feces all over,” explained Gary Rogers, of the Nassau County SPCA. “We are in contact with the district attorney’s office about possible charges.”
The wallaby’s cage had been in a trailer Gobahis located inside the garage, and covered with sheets, Rogers said.
Under Nassau County law, it’s illegal to keep Wallabies as pets. While the herbivores appear cute and cuddly, they are known to be dangerous.
The SPCA is currently looking at options for a new home for the East Rockaway wallaby, which is an adult male. The animal was so malnourished, Rogers said, that it weighed less than half of it’s preferred body weight of 40 pounds.
Officials are now trying to determine exactly how Wallach was able to get the pet in the first place. He was not at home Tuesday when officers discovered the wallaby and could not be reached for comment.
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