Wallaby Valley

Yes, there are wild wallabies on the island of Oahu. Wallabies are those cute little marsupials from Australia and New Zealand that carry a joey in a pouch. Essentially, a wallaby is a smaller version of a kangaroo. They are small, friendly and ridiculously cute. They are also extremely hard to find.

The entire colony of wallabies came from a single male and female pair. A small, private zoo imported three of the marsupials back in 1916. One day, neighborhood dogs attacked the friendly critters killing the baby. The adult male and female escaped to safety in the wilderness, and somehow they have thrived.

Wallabies have been sighted in Nuuanu and Halawa Valleys over the years, but now the wallaby colony is believed to have hunkered down in Kalihi Valley. They live above a military base on private property, so you’ll have to ask permission to access the area. Unfortunately, your chances of seeing a wallaby in the wild are slim. They are short creatures that weigh no more than 10 to 15 pounds, and they are skittish of humans.