Dutch police shoot wallaby dead 'for safety of the animal'

Dutch police said they have shot a runaway wallaby dead "for the safety of the animal", fearing it would run into traffic.

The police said that after attempting to sedate the animal, it hopped toward the highway.



The force said that "for the safety of the animal and of traffic, the animal was terminated". Police spokesman Dennis Janus said that before being shot, the wallaby was hit with three tranquilliser darts, probably containing a lethal dose of sedatives.

Officers believed the animal would die painfully if hit by a car. The wallaby belonged to a private owner in the city of Houten, Netherlands, 50 kilometres southeast of Amsterdam.