Where was Wally?

Published: 10 June, 2010
by JOSIE HINTON

A FERRET nicknamed “Houdini” has been reunited with his nine-year-old owner after an adventure that lasted a whole week.

Primrose Hill schoolboy Michael Barnes was devastated when his pet “Wally” escaped over a garden wall while his family enjoyed a barbecue outside their ­Adelaide Road home on May 28.

The furry friend managed to get free of his harness by twisting around a plant and pulling himself loose before vanishing into some nearby allotments.

Even Wally’s arch enemy “Lucky”, the family’s dog, was pining for his rival, and Michael’s ­parents plastered Chalk Farm with posters reading “Ferret Lost”, in the hope someone would find him. 

But Wally had gone straight to the nearest pub, where he happened upon a group of animal-lovers who also covered lampposts with posters reading, “Ferret Found”.

After six days of anguish they contacted the family and Michael was finally reunited with his pet on Thursday.

“He is always trying to escape, once I had to pull him from the road after he nearly got knocked over,” he said yesterday. “I’m so happy to have him back because I thought he was lost this time.”

Michael’s mum Annie said that Wally had got a fox bite on his tail, but other than that seemed happy and well.

“He’s had an adventure and been spoilt for a week with junk food,” she added. “But he’s been so happy and affectionate since he came home. 

“He’s a regular little Houdini.”