Wallaby captured after bounding along Harbour Bridge

It was a quintessentially Australian start to the morning in Sydney as police rescued a wallaby hopping on the Harbour Bridge | WATCH

The kangaroo swerves toward the Cahill Expressway. Picture; Supplied.

It was a quintessentially Australian start to the morning in Sydney today after a wallaby was spotted hopping along the Harbour Bridge.

Police responded to calls just after 5am that a small kangaroo or wallaby had been seen bounding in Lane 8 on the northern side of the bridge.

Confirmed by authorities to be an adult male Swamp Wallaby, traffic controllers then monitored its movements as it moved from the bridge to the Cahill Expressway and then onto Macquarie Street.

It took three police officers to apprehend the marsupial outside the Conservatorium of Music.

The wallaby is believed to have made its way onto the bridge from the Cammeray Golf Club.

The kangaroo swerves toward the Cahill Expressway. Picture: Supplied.

The wallaby is currently recovering from his morning adventure in the Taronga Zoo Wildlife Intensive Care Unit. A spokeswoman from Taronga said the wallaby was admitted to their hospital at 6.30am and assessed by Senior Veterinarian Dr Larry Vogelnest.

This included a full body X-Ray which “thankfully did not reveal any significant injuries”, the spokeswoman said.

The wallaby has been administered pain medication and fluids and the zoo will provide further updates on his condition later today.

Shocked drivers called into Sydney’s 2GB radio station to report the sighting.

“There was a little rock wallaby, I think it looked like, just standing in the middle of the road minding his own business” on the Cahill Expressway, one caller told the broadcaster.

A caller named Jesse told 2GB he thought there had been an accident on the Harbour Bridge before he spotted the animal.

“There was some flashing lights saying there’s an accident on or something, so I’m slowing down to 40, and the next thing I see a kangaroo just sitting there in the lane,” he said.

LISTEN: 2GB callers tell @nataliejpeters they sighted a small kangaroo or wallaby on the Sydney Harbour Bridge at about 5 this morning #2GB #sydney https://t.co/MeJZgJ1QGN

— 2GB 873 (@2GB873) January 15, 2018

Another driver, Ray, who was heading towards the city, told the station he saw the wallaby standing in the middle of the Cahill Expressway at Circular Quay.

A police officer approaches the kangaroo. Picture: Supplied.

“It was just standing there minding its own business with a police car there with flashing lights and everything,” he said. “I’m from the bush so I’m used to seeing them roaming about all over the place, but I’ve never seen one so close into the city before”.

IN PICTURES:
Wallaby on Sydney Harbour Bridge this morning. pic.twitter.com/F3MYPSnERq

— Chris Urquhart (@chrisurquhart) January 15, 2018

Commuters have also taken to social media to express their surprise at the rare sighting.

The wallaby jumped through cars from lane one, without indicating, and onto the Cahill Expressway then to Macquarie Street on Tuesday at 5am, police said.

Officers were able to capture the startled animal and transport it in a horse float to Taronga Zoo where a vet has checked over the marsupial.

Wallaby who went on bridge adventure

“The Swamp Wallaby remains in a stable condition at Taronga Wildlife Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit,” said the zoo’s senior veterinarian, Larry Vogelnest.

“At this stage, it doesn’t appear to have any serious injuries, however, it will be carefully assessed over the next 24–48 hours,” Mr Vogelnest said.

“As with all wildlife brought into our care, our hope is that the wallaby will be able to be released back into the wild. An assessment will be made on the best location for this release in due course.”

The swamp wallaby that was filmed crossing the Sydney Harbour Bridge this morning is now on a drip and had pain relief medication administered after arriving at @tarongazoo in a distressed state. https://t.co/Yt2qRxLwRN #7News pic.twitter.com/vmXJLPjtVx

— 7 News Melbourne (@7NewsMelbourne) January 15, 2018