It sounds like the beginning of a bad joke - "How do you catch awallaby?"
But it was very real Wednesday, as the Missing Marsupial ofLemont led pursuers on a merry chase around the Cog Hill golf coursebefore disappearing near the 15th hole for another day of freedom.
The animal, resembling a small kangaroo, has been loose in thesouthwest suburb since Sunday, when it leaped over a fence at anestate run by Paul Marchetti and his brothers, owners of the Como Innin Chicago.
Passersby spotted the wallaby at Cog Hill about 10:30 a.m. Theysummoned golf course personnel, who called Marchetti, who arrivedwith an assistant, and the group pursued the it over the back nine.
Capture seemed imminent at one point, but the wallaby leapedbetween the grasping hands of two men and escaped. It was last seenheading toward St. Mary's Seminary, 1400 Main St., Lemont.
Police have been "bombarded with calls" reporting sightings ofthe animal, which is not dangerous, but could kick or scratch ifprovoked.
Marchetti said he had no idea how to catch the bounding beast.
"It's very fast; gonna be tough to catch," he said, adding thathe hoped the wallaby, used to a rich diet of guinea pig chow, mightweaken after a few days and be easier to subdue.
Though they originate in Australia, wallabies are notparticularly rare or valuable - they are raised as nearby as Indianaas exotic pets. Nor is there great sentimental value attached tothis particular wallaby: Marchetti, who has a dozen llamas, a cameland several African pygmy goats and miniature horses, has not evennamed the beast.
"I could replace him," Marchetti said, forgetting that thewallaby is a she. "But I'd like not to have to."
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