EARLIER: Emergency services crews are playing a delicate balancing game in an effort to save a wallaby trapped down a mineshaft in Invermay.

About 10 crew from Ballarat City CFA and SES were called to the historic mineshaft in bushland north of Ballarat about 11am after a prospector noticed the animal about four metres down in the pit. 

The prospector believes the animal may have been trapped there for several days. Emergency crews are currently waiting for wildlife rescue to sedate the animal before it can be removed from the shaft of about two metres width.

Specialist crews form Ballarat City and Lucas are currently at the scene.

But there is also concern the bottom of the shaft may be a false bottom, as many mineshafts in the area were capped in the the 1950’s and earlier, potentially placing rescuers in greater danger.

Another mineshaft only metres from the one where the wallaby is trapped, is at least 30 metres deep and has no visible bottom.

Ballarat CFA rescued Ned the dog from the same area after the beloved pet was trapped down an 8m shaft in August.

More to come.