Escaped Wallaby Rex Recaptured in New Jersey After Community Search

A three-year-old wallaby named Rex escaped from an animal sanctuary in Williamstown, New Jersey, on Monday evening and was safely recaptured the following night near a local Walmart after a community-assisted search, authorities and sanctuary officials reported.

Rex bolted from his enclosure at Lots of Love Sanctuary on Corkery Lane around 4 or 5 p.m. Monday when a latch was accidentally left open, according to sanctuary owner Ron Layden. The small marsupial, a member of the kangaroo family native to Australia, roamed free for approximately 24 to 28 hours amid freezing temperatures. Weighing up to 53 pounds as an adult, wallabies like Rex are midsize herbivores known for their agility and hopping ability.

Monroe Township Police Department responded to multiple reports of a loose kangaroo-like animal that evening. Officers were called to the area of East Malaga Road and South Black Horse Pike around 9:05 p.m. Monday after Rex narrowly avoided being struck by a vehicle. He was spotted shortly afterward outside the Walmart on Black Horse Pike, about a half-mile to a mile from the sanctuary. Police issued public alerts with a description of Rex, urging residents to report sightings,...