Article By Shannon Grange Exotics

The Wallaby is not a housepet. Although, when bottle-raised it will remain a pet which you could bring into the house on occasion if you wished, it needs room to run. It is diurnal, and is most active in the early morning, and evening hours. They need a large pen where they can run and play, and shelter available at all times for shade or warmth. A pen 50 x 50 is plenty for a pair of Wallabies. A pen with trees for shade is good in the summer if possible, but as long as they have an enclosure with shade, they are fine. They also enjoy playing in water – a baby pool on those hot days will get lots of use, or some people have sprinklers that they will spend the day playing in.

In Canada, the easiest Wallaby food to get hold of is the Mazuri Kangaroo/Wallaby ration. If your local co-op doesn’t have it, they can probably order it, or find a food supplier for your local zoo. Also, extruded brood-mare ration along with the Wallaby diet and good alfalfa hay is given free-choice at all times.(hay is not necessary if they have grazing in the summer). Fruit and vegetables is also given – again in moderation. They like bananas(especially the peel), celery, sweet potatoes, yams, carrots, apple, pear, orange etc. They cannot eat white potato, cabbage, head lettuce, or other starchy or gassy vegetables. They like wheat bread, but should not eat white bread. They love peanuts in the shell, dried corn, and will also eat rabbit pellets. These foods should only be given if they are also eating the Wallaby diet/broodmare ration as well. Putting in branches for them to chew on is good for them as well as entertainment for them. Make sure it is not a wood that is poisonous to animals.

Wallabies in captivity will survive about 15 years – only about 7 in the wild.

The Swamp Wallaby is different from any other breed of Wallaby. It has a different chromosome count, and different behavior patterns. It is a little smaller than the Bennett Wallaby, and of a slimmer build. The tail is longer, and the face is narrower. They are brown, with orange highlights on the back of their heads, and on their chests. Their coat is shorter and thicker than the Bennett. They mature at about 25-30 lbs. What makes the Swamp better suited to some situations, is that they are solitary animals. They do not fight with each other, but they are not at all dependant on each other. If you are looking for a single pet Wallaby, a Swamp may be a better choice, as they would be happier on their own than other breeds of Wallabies. However, the Swamps do not seem to tolerate the extreme cold as well as the Bennetts. They like the cold, however with the longer, slimmer tail, it is more subject to frostbite on those –20 degree C days. As long as you have an enclosed shelter away from wind, and are able to install a heat lamp for those really cold days, they are quite able to winter well.

When bottle-raised, they bond very well, and make great pets. People should always remember, however, that these are not dogs, and are still wild animals. They are not aggressive, but when they want to be left alone, you should do so for their sense of security. They should not be chased by anything. Do not house your Wallabies where other animals such as dogs can chase them. When threatened, they will run headfirst into a fence to escape, and have been known to break their necks. This is not very likely with a hand-raised Wallaby, but it is not worth taking the risk. I find that as long as they have an enclosure, they can always go and hide there - where they feel safe.