Young wallaby confiscated from man on Coney Island Boardwalk now in foster care on Long Island

Monday, August 21, 2023
MIDDLE ISLAND, Long Island (WABC) -- A wallaby confiscated on the Coney Island boardwalk is now being cared for and fostered by an animal rescue group on Long Island.

On Friday, police received reports of a man carrying the wallaby in a pouch on the Riegelmann Boardwalk.
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Authorities say he was charging people to hold the marsupial and take pictures. He was given a summons for possession of a wild marsupial.

Over the weekend, the wallaby, estimated to be between 9 months and 1 year old, was taken to Save the Animals Rescue Foundation on Long Island to be fostered.


"They're not meant to be in a house, they need a lot of space, they need a lot of fresh grasses to eat, if he does stay, we will be building an appropriate outdoor situation for it," said STAR foundation director Lori Ketcham.
The joey is not available for adoption but is said to be healthy and doing well.

Wild animals, like wallabies, are prohibited from being owned by people in New York City.
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