The wallaby is thought to have fled from the Shepreth Wildlife Park near Cambridge.

The animal is believed to have broken through a fence damaged during Sunday's storms.

Keepers from the park were chasing the wallaby through fields on the edge of the village.

It looked quite harmless and it seemed to be enjoying itself

Louise Barrell, local resident

Louise Barrell, who lives in Shepreth, said: "I was standing outside when I saw some people from the Wildlife Park walk past.

"I then looked across the field behind our garden and saw the wallaby hopping down along the side of the railway line which runs from Cambridge to London.

"I was a bit concerned that it was going to jump up on to the line but it hopped off in the other direction with the people from the park following it.

"It looked quite harmless and it seemed to be enjoying itself."

It is not the first creature to escape from the park: in October a monkey was found by primary school children as they left a French class in Shepreth Village Hall.

Tiger home

It was safely recaptured by park staff after the youngsters kept it entertained by feeding it fruit.

Ms Barrell said that a few years ago a capybara - a kind of South American guinea pig about as big as a pig - got out and was living in the fields for a few days.

Some villagers near the park were concerned when two tigers were given a home earlier this year.

Local authority officials gave the park owners the go-ahead to keep the tigers after checking safety precautions.