Wallaby recovering in Northumberland after injuring his face during 12-hour rescue

Choppy is now recovering from his ordeal.

The marsupial, which has been nicknamed Choppy, was captured following a lengthy rescue operation which started in the early hours of Saturday.

Shortly before 5am, Blyth Wildlife Rescue received a call from BeastWatch UK (BWUK) asking for help to recover the trapped wallaby in Chopwell. It had been contained for several hours with help of local volunteers and The Lost Dog Trapping Team, who supplied and set up a large dog trap in a secluded area.

The emergency medic team from Blyth Wildlife Rescue sprung into action and three vehicles arrived at the scene at 6.30am. Charity vets Dr Allan and Sharon Wright of Wrights Vets also turned up to administer sedation so the animal could be safely transported.

Choppy injured his nose trying to get out of his cage.

Choppy had sustained a severe injury to its face after trying to get out of the trap, so medics had to act quickly to calm the creature and prevent it hurting itself further.

Once sedated, the wallaby was removed from the trap, checked for life threatening injuries and then transferred to the veterinary practice in Birtley where he had a thorough check-up.

In his bid to escape the trap he sustained swelling and bruising to his head and bone was exposed on his nose, but the wound was cleaned and successfully stitched up under general anaesthetic.

Charity founder and senior medic John Anderson, who attended the rescue, said “This was a long and stressful rescue for all involved, taking 12 hours from start to finish.

The wallaby had to be sedated before being transferred to a vets for a check-up, and Kirkley Hall.

"There was a large amount of operational logistics involved, complicated by the last-minute nature of the emergency, but we’re grateful to all persons involved in playing their part in the rescue mission.

"We’re pleased the animal is now safe from harmm and we look forward to further updates in Choppy’s progress.”

The wallaby has been transferred to Northumberland College Zoo at Kirkley Hall. The team there plan to monitor him closely and continue post-care before integrating him with two resident females already on site.

The operational costs for the wildlife rescue charity alone is estimated to be around £450. It is one of 115 animals which have been rescued this month.

To support the charity, text 70085 to donate £5.