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Wal’s well that ends well!

A 2-year-old wallaby has been safely returned after it escaped from its enclosure at the Cape May County Park & Zoo overnight Monday.

The Cape May County Sheriff’s Office and Middle Township cops joined zoo staff in the search for the rogue marsupial, who was found Tuesday safe and sound after about 12 hours on the run in South Jersey.


  The Cape May County Sheriff’s Office shared the good news that the marsupial who was safely returned after an overnight bid for freedom. Cape May County Sheriffâs Office The Cape May County Sheriff’s Office shared the good news that the marsupial who was safely returned after an overnight bid for freedom. Cape May County Sheriffâs Office

  The 2-year-old wallaby, Cletus, is back in its enclosure. Cape May County Government / Facebook The 2-year-old wallaby, Cletus, is back in its enclosure. Cape May County Government / Facebook

“UPDATE: The wallaby has been safely recovered and is on his way home. Thank you to everyone involved!” the CMSO wrote in a Facebook post alongside a photo of a wallaby, complete with a joey peering out of its pouch and a triumphant text banner “SAFELY RECOVERED!”

CMSO Lt. Beth Perednas said the outcome of the search was what they were hoping for.

“It was a quick response, the Middle Township PD as well as our sheriff’s office helped locate the animal and contain him, then zoo staff was able to come in and recover him safely,” she said.

Cletus didn’t go very far, hunkering down in a stand of woods near a neighborhood bike path close to the zoo.

“The community was great, they let us know that they noticed him in the back yard,” she said.

Cape May County Park & Zoo is famously home to Ghost, an adorable albino wallaby with its own plush in the animal park’s gift shop.


  Cape May County Park & Zoo also has a famous albino wallaby resident named Ghost. Cape May County Zoo / Zookeeper Steph Cape May County Park & Zoo also has a famous albino wallaby resident named Ghost. Cape May County Zoo / Zookeeper Steph

The incident isn’t the first time the Australia-native mammal has made a break for it in the Garden State.

Last December, a wallaby named Rex escaped from Lots of Love Farm in Gloucester County and was later found and captured at a Walmart in Monroe Township the next day.

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