January 31, 2022 9.57 am This story is over 26 months old

“I’m a wallaby, get me out of here” – Dec missing from Lincolnshire farm days after Ant capture

Ant has only just returned to the farm, and now Dec is on the run
Dec (pictured) lives with his brother Ant at Tiny Steps Petting Farm. | Photo: Tiny Steps Petting Farm

Dec the wallaby has escaped from a petting farm just days after his brother Ant was captured following three weeks on the loose.

Specialist search teams were brought in to recapture Ant after he thwarted several attempts to catch him.

But just days after the pair were reunited, heartbroken staff revealed Dec has now hopped it.

Tiny Steps Petting Farm in Thurlby, Lincolnshire, said Dec disappeared in the early hours of Friday morning.

His brother Ant was only returned to the petting farm on January 23 after nearly three weeks in the Lincolnshire countryside.

The pair were briefly reunited but having shown wariness of each other, they were separated again.

The farm revealed Dec has now disappeared in a post on their Facebook page:

“Heartbroken does not describe how I feel . We work so hard to protect and look after our beautiful animals.”

Wallabies have strong legs and anyone who sees Dec should not attempt to capture him, the farm warned.

Ant, who usually spends his days with his pal Dec at Tiny Steps Petting Farm, managed to escape from his enclosure on January 5.

The RSPCA, with the help from local volunteers, tried several techniques to capture the mischievous marsupial, including using humane traps.

And the seven-month-old joey even managed to kick his way out of a cage after RSPCA inspectors thought they had him cornered.

Both Ant and Dec are Bennett’s Wallabies, and were born in the UK before they arrived at the farm in December.