A family from the Melbourne suburb of Sydenham received a surprise last night when an unexpected visitor refused to leave their backyard.

A wallaby found its way into the property, where it was enjoying some of the native vegetation.

Homeowner Mark Kutniewski describes what happened.

"The wife came in and said quick quick quick there's a little kangaroo in the backyard. So I woke up daughter to have a look," he said.

Wildlife rescuers moved in, and after a quick game of cat and mouse, the intruder was caught.

The family lives about five kilometres from a main highway and were surprised the animal had made it through all the traffic to get to their home.

The wallaby was taken to a nearby shelter to rest before being released.