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Wolf ‘snatches pet kangaroo’ from home in Belgium

A wolf named August is believed to be the culprit

Kate Ng
Thursday 26 December 2019 07:57 EST
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(AFP/Getty Images)

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A pet kangaroo has been taken by a wolf from a family’s home in Balen, north-east Belgium.

The kangaroo was one of two living in the family’s garden when a wolf took one and injured the other, said a wolf expert.

Jan Loos said he found wolf prints at the scene and the kangaroo is now “probably dead”, reported the BBC.

Mr Loos, director of wolf and wildlife centre Landschap, said a wolf named August may be the culprit as it has been known to roam the area.

The number of wild wolves in continental Europe have been depleted due to hunting, but sightings have been on the rise.

In January 2018, the first wolf to have been sighted in Belgium for more than 100 years was named Naya, in the north-east province of Limbourg.

Naya was joined in August 2018 by a male companion, named August.

Naya is believed to have been killed since she has not been sighted since May this year while August, who was initially seen taking food to her, had been acting as a solitary wolf.

Mr Loos told AFP: “I found wolf prints, so quite sure it’s a wolf, but we’re not 100 percent sure which wolf.”

The kangaroo’s remains have not been found.

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