SYDNEY, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- A wallaby rescued by ferry crew members who spotted it struggling in Sydney harbor waters is recovering and set for release soon, just over two weeks after a separate marsupial made global headlines for hopping along the area's iconic bridge, local media reported on Friday.
The female wallaby, which is similar to a kangaroo but smaller in size, was taken to an animal hospital "for X-rays to check how much seawater it had swallowed" after rescuers looped it onboard their boat on Thursday evening, The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported.
The rescued creature will be given antibiotics and could be released by Friday afternoon, animal welfare group Sydney Wildlife volunteer Joan Reid was quoted as saying.
The animals were "vulnerable" because there was a lack of wildlife corridors in new developments of urban areas, she said.
Wallabies, like the koalas native to Australia, are marsupials or mammals that carry their young in pouches and are found in the wild throughout the country.
The latest wallaby rescue comes after one of the animals made local and international news for hopping along the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge on Jan. 16. The male marsupial was taken to a zoo hospital in a serious, stressed condition after being in the spotlight. It later recovered and was released back into the wild in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park north of the city.
