By John Kiesewetter
Enquirer staff writer

Wally, a 6-year-old male wallaby, is returned to owner Frank Rosen (left) by Fairfield Animal Control Officer Chuck Geurin Thursday at Rosen's home on Gray Road. The Enquirer/GLENN HARTONG

FAIRFIELD - Wally the wallaby was reunited with his owners and his girlfriend Frieda Thursday after his 24-hour adventure.

"Frieda knew something was wrong yesterday. She knew Wally was missing," said Erin Rosen, 17.

Her family has kept the two pet marsupials at their 30-acre John Gray Road home on the west side of Harbin Park for about six months, she said.

Her father, Frank Rosen, discovered while watching the 5 p.m. news Wednesday that Wally had hopped away. He checked the wallaby pen and saw where Wally had dug under a gate.

"We have three horses, and they run (free), but never leave," Frank said. "The wallaby likes to explore a little more."

"I don't know how he wandered so far," Erin said. "The last time he got out, our neighbor caught him."

The 5-year-old wallaby roamed about three-fourths of a mile east, across Harbin Park, to the Schreiber home at Carlin Court and Red Oak Drive. He was captured by Chuck Geurin, city animal control officer, about 1 p.m. Wednesday.

Residents reported seeing two "kangaroos," but Geurin believes they saw the same animal in different places. A wallaby is a small marsupial in the same family as kangaroos.

Wally was driven home Thursday after spending the night with Geurin's two cats and a horse. Said Geurin: "The cats were funny. They just kept looking at him like they were thinking, 'This is the biggest rat we'd ever seen.' "

Wally was welcomed home with his favorite treats: a slice of white bread, sweet potatoes and Happy Hopper Kangaroo Food.

Frank said his wife, Mary, got the two wallabies from a Houston petting zoo earlier this year to breed them. Erin said they think Frieda, 4, is pregnant.

"We hope she has one in her pouch, but we don't know yet," Erin said.

"I don't think there are any more wallabies in Fairfield right now," her dad said, "until we start popping out more Wallys."

E-mail jkiesewetter@enquirer .com.