You’d be forgiven for being surprised to hear of wallabies thriving in the British Isles – but that’s what is happening right now.

The marshlands of the Isle of Man have proven “almost perfect” for wallabies that escaped captivity in the 1960s, allowing their population to grow to about 1,000, according to the Manx Wildlife Trust.

Initially, only a few wallabies escaped from a nearby wildlife park, but recent surveys of Ballaugh Curragh and the surrounding areas reveal a significant increase in their numbers.

Leigh Morris, the trust’s chief executive, explained that the habitat closely resembles Tasmania, one of the wallabies’ native regions. This similarity enabled the population to thrive in the island’s northwest before expanding into other forests and glens over the past 60 years.

While wallabies are typically associated with Australia’s warmer climates, Morris noted that they are also well-suited to Tasmania’s wet and chilly winters.

The Ballaugh Curragh wetlands, recognised as an internationally important site, have played a critical role in the wallabies’ success. The area’s low human population density and lack of intensive farming have provided ideal conditions for their growth.

Previous estimates suggested more than 100 wallabies lived on the island, but new data indicates their numbers are closer to 950–1,050. The animals have now spread to locations such as Ramsey Forest and Ballaugh Glen’s western side.

The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (Defa) plans to assess the population’s health to determine if management is necessary. With no natural predators and no prior control efforts, the population has flourished unchecked.

Mr Morris said, now that the size of it was known, “we should be having a conversation about their impact and their health” and if that number was sustainable.

He said the trust has observed cases of blindness among the wallabies, and while the reason is not yet clear, “we have to ask if that is because of inbreeding”.

Morris stressed the importance of addressing these issues, suggesting the island must have a “serious conversation,” led by Defa, about the future of its wild wallaby population.

 

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