Family battles to keep wallaby

PAYSON, Utah, Nov. 24 (UPI) -- A Payson, Utah, family is concerned city laws may force them to give up their pet wallaby who has become indispensable for the family's autistic son.

The family of Matthew Sager says the wallaby named Rupert is the only one with whom the 14-year-old youth is able to communicate freely, reports the Provo Daily Herald.

Wallabies are smaller and are friendlier than their larger version kangaroos.

Cindy Sager, Matthew's mother, said the two have had a special bond since they first met.

But things got complicated when police got a call last week about a wallaby roaming free. Officers eventually caught the wallaby and took him back to his home, but because of an ordinance outlawing wild animals like Rupert, the incident has forced police to search for a compromise.

The Sager family and neighbors who have come to love Rupert are worried the state might take away their furry friend. Police are working with the Division of Wildlife Resources to find a way for the Sagers to keep their pet.

The Sagers got the wallaby from a family acquaintance who owns a farm that houses several animals, including the miniature kangaroos.