Five Bennett's Wallabies were released from a private zoo at Roaches
Hall in the late 1930's.
The zoo was owned by Courtney Brocklehurst who tragically lost his life
in World War 2. These few bred and became as many as 50.
They have been seen by many people over the years. Have you seen them?
If you have, tell your story by contacting the webmaster and I'll publish
it on the Memories page.
Contact Webmaster
Three Yak and a Nilgai antelope were also released at the same time. I have not heard stories on the Nilgai. So anything you know about it would be great to know.
Two wallabies seen together for the first time in over 10 years by Robert Ward on Kinder Scout on 18th Sept 2009. See email below
Just returned from a walk on Kinder Scout and googled wallabies and Kinder Scout, finding your page. Today, 2 p.m. walking West at the end of Seal Edge, just where the path turns left (South) towards the top of Fair Brook Naze, I surprised two large brown upright animals, surely too large to be mountain hares. They bounded away quite quickly.
Robert Ward
Wallabies on Kinder Scout evidently are not new. I received this email from David Hurst on 23 Sept 2009
Hi Bob
So pleased to hear about recent sightings of Wallabies in the area, I really hope that it means they are re-populating again.
I found it very interesting to hear about sightings in the Kinder Scout area. My family lived in Castleton in the Hope Valley until recently and a few years back, I would guess 7 to 10 years ago, my brother sighted a Wallaby near to Mam Tor on the old abandoned road which is near to Kinder Scout. I have never previously heard a report of a sighting in this area so hopefully it suggests that a few had survived in this area and are still alive today.
Kind regards, David.
Third wallaby sighting this year! The geographical spread of sightings is now quite large. Laurie Fentimen sent me this email on 2nd Sept 09
I was walking south across Kinder Scout about 5pm on Saturday 15th August, trying to find the path back from Kinder Downfall to Grindsbrooke Clough again – I had lost it somewhere a little while earlier. It was just south of the high point, trying to find a way across the deep gullies cut into the peat when I found myself looking face to face at an animal, sat up on its hind legs, some ten yards from me. We looked at each other for a few moments, and it was away across the peat at speed, heading west. I had no camera, and even if I had, I doubt I would have reacted quickly enough. I tried to tell myself it was a large hare, but I knew it wasn't really. I thought about wallabies, but thinking there could not possibly be wallabies out there in the middle of the dark peak, I almost forgot about it again as my focus retuned to path finding. Then this evening I opened the latest Walk magazine and fond the article on the wallabies of the Peak District. It was what I saw – brilliant!
Laurie Fentimen
Yet another wallaby sighting! The second in a week.This time near Hangingstone Swithamley by David Hobson of Buxton on August 2nd. Below is the email David sent me.
Link to short video 1
Link to short video 2
Single wallaby seen near Wetton Mill, Wetton on 31st July 2009 by Kate Cooper and family. Below is the email Kate sent me. Unfortunately no photos this time.
Hello there Bob,
We're just back from a holiday staying at Wetton Mill, near Wetton.
The first evening (Friday, 31st July) we were out for a walk when my
15 year old son remarked in a rather bemused voice, 'look, there's a
baby kangaroo'. We looked... and there was a wallaby. It was about
100 yards away from us, on a grassy hillside below a wood. I'd heard
there were wallabies at the Roaches, but I gather they're fairly
rarely sighted now? And Wetton is a fair distance from the Roaches
anyway.
I googled a bit, found your site, and thought you'd like to know.
Best wishes,
Kate Cooper
Single wallaby seen again near Lud Church on 29th March 2009 by Andy Burton of Sheffield.
Below are two of the photos Andy sent in.
This is the email Andy sent me.
29 March 2009,
Just got back from a weekend based at Gradbach youth hostel.Whilst on walk up to lud church spotted a wallaby in the heather not more than 10 yards away.So there is at least still one of the creatures still alive out there!
Best Regards
Andy Burton (Sheffield)
The last sighting was 16 months earler in Nov 2007
Neil Caton sent me two photos of the wallaby. They are from an old camera phone so are not high quality
This is the e-mail I received from Neil Caton on Nov 25th 2007
Walking from Danebridge at 8am this morning, I came over the top past Hangingstone and came across a wallaby. it didn't move and allowed me to get within about 3 feet. It carried on down the path for about 100 yards.