Wallaby on the loose in Ferndale

A wallaby is on the loose in Ferndale.

The stray wallaby was reported around 9:30 a.m. Friday, Nov. 13, near Grandview Road and Interstate 5, according to Washington State Patrol spokesman Mark Francis.

Francis said troopers and Whatcom County Sheriff’s deputies searched for the wallaby Friday morning but could not find it.

Ray Strom, owner of Outback Kangaroo Farm in Arlington, said a 2-foot-tall adult wallaby was sold to a man in Ferndale within the last two years. Friday morning, Strom learned a wallaby had escaped. He guessed the wallaby on the loose was the same one but couldn’t be sure.

If anyone sees the wallaby, Strom said it would be wise to not chase it.

“If it isn’t chased, there’s a good chance it will come back to the owner,” Strom said.

Strom said he couldn’t remember off-hand the name of the Ferndale person who bought the wallaby.

The Outback Kangaroo Farm provides tours for people interested in interacting with kangaroos, wallabies and wallaroos. The farm has about 40 such animals, Strom said, and sometimes sells the animals as pets.

If anybody spots the wallaby, Francis said they should call 911.

This story was originally published November 13, 2015 at 1:00 PM with the headline "Wallaby on the loose in Ferndale."