Moment police chase adorable wallaby as it bounds over iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge

A "wayward" wallaby has been captured and taken to safety after Australian commuters were stunned to see it cross an inner-city bridge.

Motorists were surprised to spot the adorable marsupial bounding over Sydney Harbour Bridge, since wallabies and kangaroos are normally seen in the countryside.

It was spotted shortly before 5am local time on Tuesday and was observed crossing lanes before turning onto an expressway at the end of the bridge.

Footage shows a police car giving chase as the speedy critter hops off.

It then shows an officer approaching before the rogue marsupial turns tail and leaps away.

Police finally picked up the runaway outside a music school and took it to Taronga zoo for health checks.

It seemed startled, they said, but is in good health.

A witness told local radio station 2GB she was stunned to see the wallaby so far into Sydney.

"I thought, no, no way do you see a kangaroo in the city like that. I've only seen them in the country," said the woman, named as Michelle.

"I just thought of people's safety and the safety of the little kangaroo or wallaby."

Wallabies can bounce at surprisingly high speeds of up to 30 miles per hour.