The rogue wallaby

A wallaby had to be lassoed back with a fishing net after he escaped into the water surrounding his island home at a Scottish fishery.

The Tasmanian wallaby is the second to attempt an audacious escape from Leadburn Manor estate between Midlothian and the Scottish borders this week.

The pair had been being kept on the island because their owners were told that the furry Australian natives didn't like water.

However Francis Gilhooly, owner of Leadburn Manor, told the BBC Scotland news website said that within six hours of buying the wallabies, the puckish pair had dived into the water and began "furiously swimming" off the island.

One of the wild wallabies was darted by an Scottish SPCA officer on Wednesday, however the second of the wallabies, who have not yet been named, lept mischievously into the water.

It had been a "heartbreaking and traumatic" time for the Gilhoolies, as well as the wallabies, he told the BBC. Wallabies are notoriously difficult to catch, as they can reach speeds of 40mph on land.

Unfortunately the wallbies are now going to have to live in a 1000sq m enclosure, as Gilhooley is not willing to take the chance of another wallaby hunt.

However before their capture, a senior inspector from the Scottish SPCA said that he could see no reason why wallabies could not live "indefinitely" in the Scottish wilds.