Skippy the wallaby gives Dutch police a Sunday runaround
Police in North Holland said a loose wallaby named Skippy was sedated by a veterinarian and returned home after a chase through Middenmeer.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
2 min read
A loose wallaby named Skippy sent police scrambling through Middenmeer on Sunday after a resident reported what looked like a “kangaroo” near soccer fields, according to the North Holland Police Unit.
The call took officers to the Dutch town for a job that stood out even by police-shift standards. In a social media post, police said they had expected plenty during their workday, though a kangaroo report in Middenmeer was not on their list.
The animal was later identified as a wallaby, police said. Wallabies are marsupials related to kangaroos, though the report from authorities focused on the animal’s escape and capture rather than its species details.
A hop through traffic
Police said the wallaby was seen moving through a busy road after the call came in. Authorities then pursued the animal through the area before bringing in veterinary help.
A veterinarian was able to sedate the wallaby so it could be captured safely, according to police posts cited by UPI. Police shared the episode on Instagram through the Wijkagenten Sander & Arend account, which posted updates from the scene.
The wallaby’s owner arrived while police were dealing with the escape, authorities said. The owner told officers the pet was named Skippy and had gotten out the previous night.
Skippy was returned home safely after the capture, police said.
Pet wallaby rules in the Netherlands
The case also brushed up against a recent change in Dutch pet rules. UPI reported that a law which took effect in the Netherlands on July 1, 2024, bars the buying and selling of wallabies as pets.
The law does not require all existing pet wallabies to be removed from their homes. According to UPI, animals that were already owned before the measure took effect may stay with their owners for the rest of their lives.
Police did not report any further action involving Skippy’s owner in the account of the incident. The public details released by authorities centered on the unusual call, the chase through Middenmeer and the safe return of the marsupial.
For officers, the Sunday assignment began with a report of a kangaroo and ended with a sedated wallaby heading back where it belonged.
This story draws on original reporting from UPI.