DO THESE new photographs prove that wallabies are still living up in the hills near Macclesfield?
Hiker Andy Burton said he captured one of the elusive creatures on camera, while trekking up in the Roaches with friends.
Dad-of-two Andy, 46, who was on an afternoon walk from the little hamlet of Gradbach across the moors, said the wallaby popped out of heather just 30ft away.
Wallabies were introduced to the Peak District in the 1930s by the Brocklehurst family, when five of the animals escaped from their private zoo at Roaches Hall. It’s believed up to 50 were living on the moors at one time, but many were hunted and fears arose they had completely died out.
But Andy said: "We were taking a bit of a shortcut across the moor and when we came out of the woodland saw the wallaby in the grassland.
"It was about ten yards away and just stood there looking at us for a few minutes.
"It was totally unphased by us, and I managed to take a couple of snaps before it disappeared. It was absolutely fantastic."
Engineer Andy, who lives in Grenoside, Sheffield, was staying at Gradbach Mill Youth Hostel for a 50th birthday walking party at the end of March, when he took the picture. His pictures first appeared on The Roaches website, at www.roaches.org.uk.
Andy added: "I used to live in Buxton years ago and heard the stories about wallabies up on the Roaches. It’s fantastic to have seen one. I would like to think there are more up there."
Mark Wallis, manager of Gradbach Mill Youth Hostel, where Andy stayed, said: "I’ve been here 18 months and never seen one. My staff are up there (on the Roaches) all the time, and they haven’t reported any sightings. It would be nice to think there are still some up there though."
A spokeswoman for Peak District Rangers service said there had been no official or confirmed wallaby sightings in four years.
WALLABY FACT FILE
- A wallaby is part of the macropod (meaning "large foot") family, which also includes kangaroos.
- They are widespread in Australia and New Zealand, but there are also small colonies in Hawaii and the UK.
- The largest UK wallaby colony (around 100) is in the Isle of Man, with other colonies including at Loch Lomond in Scotland.
- They range in length from the size of a rabbit, up to around 5ft.
- Baby wallabies, like kangaroos, are known as "joeys" and are kept in their mum’s pouch for around 37 weeks.
- They are herbivores, eating grass, leaves, and roots and can go for months without water.
- The Wallabies is the international name for the Australian rugby union team.
