Search On for Lost Wallaby Rex in Gloucester County

WILLIAMSTOWN, N.J. — Animal welfare workers are searching for a wallaby named Rex that escaped from Lots of Love Farm on Monday night. The three-year-old wallaby is considered friendly but remains on the run after someone reportedly left the gate to his enclosure unlatched.

Farm owner Ron Layden explained that Rex was brought inside on Monday due to brutal weather conditions. “I made a little cage in the barn for him, and somehow it didn’t get locked,” Layden said. Rex was spotted later that night in a Walmart parking lot on the Black Horse Pike, about a mile from the farm.

On Tuesday morning, Klarissa Harper was surprised to see Rex hopping in front of her car while she was at Walmart. “I couldn’t contain my excitement,” she recalled. “It’s not every day you see a wallaby!”

Despite Rex’s friendly demeanor, Layden urged the public not to chase him. He noted that Rex had been moved to a different enclosure for warmth when he escaped. “I’m worried he’ll get hit by a car. That’s my biggest worry,” Layden said.

Monroe Township Police responded to reports of a loose “kangaroo” that night. They reported Rex narrowly missed being struck by a car before sightings continued near the Walmart. According to Capt. Kevin Bielski, police dispatched several officers to locate the wallaby, but they could not find him.

“He’s probably hunkered down somewhere,” Layden said. “But I don’t think the cold will bother him.” They are employing a drone pet locating service to assist in the search for Rex.

Anyone who spots Rex should contact Lots of Love Farm at 856-728-4188 immediately. The farm urges caution and suggests staying put if you see him.