Runaway NJ wallaby ‘Rex’ found and returned home with help from group of teens

A runaway wallaby named Rex was found and returned home with help from a group of teens after being on the loose in New Jersey for over a day, according to reports and authorities.

Rex escaped from Lots of Love Sanctuary in Williamstown on Monday evening after a latch was accidentally left open, the sanctuary owner, Ron Layden, told CBS News.

The 3-year-old fuzzy creature roamed free for roughly 28 hours in freezing temperatures as the MonroeTownship Police Department helped search for him, the department announced.

Rex was found around 9 p.m. on Tuesday near a retention pond by a Walmart, a half mile from the sanctuary, after a group of teens decided to drive to the area to search for him, the outlet reported.

“We just decided to look for a wallaby,” Keith Miller, a member of the search party, told the outlet.

The group of pals from Marlton and Voorhees spent roughly three hours looking for the adorable animal before finding him, they recalled to the outlet.

“They hopped the fence first and tried to get him into one spot,” another teen, Leandro Vera, said.

“We trapped him into a brush pile right here.”

After Rex was cornered, the friends managed to pick him up by his tail.

“He said get him by the tail because that’s probably the strongest part of the animal,” Laine Viviano said.

“It was a very unique experience, and I’m glad I can put that on my resume now.”

Rex was in good condition when he was found, according to Layden, who expressed immense gratitude for the teens and the community’s help with the search.

“He was in great condition, like it was nothing,” Layden said. “He was just out for a stroll. He wasn’t even stressed out.”

“I really appreciate all the help that the community and everybody gave,” he continued.

Wallabies are members of the kangaroo clan and primarily inhabit Australia and nearby islands. The small to medium-sized marsupials can weigh up to 53 pounds, according to National Geographic.