A wallaby which was shot in the head had to be put to sleep because of its injuries.

The Manx SPCA was called out after the animal was discovered

The charity said it had managed to hop, and then collapse, onto the driveway of a property in Glen Audlyn.

A MSPCA spokesman said: ‘We rushed him to the vets where he was put to sleep due to the extent of his injuries.

‘As the law stands, hunting and shooting wallabies is not illegal on the Island because they are classed as a non-indigenous species and therefore they are not protected by the Wildlife Act 1990.

‘However, this poor animal was shot with a firearm that wasn’t powerful enough to kill a medium sized mammal outright - a firearm designed to shoot rabbits and pheasants.

‘We need to make sure whoever did this understands the ramifications of using an inappropriate firearm, and the pain and suffering they have caused. If you know who this might be, please help us to prevent this happening again.

‘Better still, help us promote wallabies as a wonderful addition to our Manx countryside, and allow natural selection to control the population.’