Escaped Wallaroo Leads Police on Two-Hour Chase in Peru, Illinois

Before being rescued from a freezing Illinois River, an escaped wallaroo, named Wally, sparked a two-hour long police chase in Peru, Illinois, on December 2.

As police tried to snag the meandering marsupial, he tried to escape their grasp by jumping into the river.

“Without warning Wally jumped into the river and attempted to swim across from the north shore to the south shore,” a Peru Police Department statement said. He was pulled from the frigid river by a passing fishing boat crew and was treated by a veterinarian. Police said they were “optimistic he will not only survive but will be okay.”

Footage taken by Jake Ficek shows the wallaroo hopping down a street. Credit: Jake Ficek via Storyful