Residents are hoping that a wallaby that was passing through their street is safe after 'hiding' in a forest.

13-year-old Cia Christie was stunned when she was getting ready for school on Wednesday, October 19 and happened to see a wallaby in her street in Chopwell, Gateshead.

"I could not believe my eyes," Cia said.

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"It was about 8:30am, in the morning when I saw it on my way to school.

"I have heard that something like this has happened before this was the first time I saw one in the street.

"I am not sure what happened to it after I took the video but the last I heard was that RSPCA were looking for it as it was hiding in Chopwell wood.

"I hope they have found it and that it is safe."

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Although this seems like a rare-sighting, free-range wallabies have been reported hopping all over the country, from Cornwall to Norfolk, and from the home counties all the way up to Scotland, though most are in the south.

It is believed that red-necked wallabies have been in Britain for more than a century after first being imported from Australia for zoos and private collections.

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