Seeing this might make you jump!

A rare albino wallaby - believed to be an escaped pet - has been pictured while on the loose in the Dover area.

Residents were posting on social media about their sightings of the marsupial hopping about and lurking in the undergrowth, before it was finally captured.

Although wallabies are considered established in the wild in the UK - as a result of escaping from captivity - they are not a native species.

Animal experts from Wingham Wildlife Park were called to the town after a race falcon breeder, Daniel Scheidle, tracked down the mammal near Broomfield Bank Water Treatment Works at Hougham, near Dover.

The park’s curator, Markus Wilder, says they received a call on Friday morning about the albino Bennett's wallaby being spotted along Folkestone Road.

“The person who called was able to keep an eye on the wallaby but could not capture it, so he asked us whether we would be able to provide support,” he said.

“We were not able to get out right away but we headed to Dover as soon as we could. Originally, it was confined within the grounds of the water treatment works.

“But when we got there at about 3pm it had come out through the gates and was in a hedgerow alongside the busy Folkestone Road, which made everything a little more high-stakes.

“However, with full confidence and a plan in place, we went ahead and managed to capture the wallaby quickly without injury to him or any stress.”

The wallaby was finally caught on the hop, put in a crate and taken to a local vet for a health check and to check the microchip number.

Mr Wilder added: “While we were happy to help with getting this beautiful animal out of danger and hated thinking about it being out alongside that busy road, we don't currently have space for a male wallaby to be quarantined at the park.

“However, while his owner is being looked for, they had already organised a temporary foster home once given the all-clear by a vet.”

The RSPCA says most people are “unaware” that wallabies - which can jump up to six feet high - are considered established in the wild in Britain.

“Some people also keep them as pets, so it’s possible this wallaby is lost or has escaped from private property,” a spokesperson said.

“But as wallabies are not a native species, releasing one into the wild would be an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

“Our advice to people who spot a wallaby in the wild is to watch from afar, enjoy the unusual sight and don’t try to approach them.

“Sightings should be reported to UK Wallaby Sightings, and iRecord for non-native species here.

“Anyone who finds an injured wallaby in need of help should monitor the animal from a distance and call the RSPCA’s emergency line on 0300 1234 999.”