Wombat Awareness Organisation
The Wombat Awareness Organisation (WAO) is a non profit organisation specialising in large scale rescue and rehabilitation of the Southern Hairy Nosed Wombat (Lasiorhinus latifrons). Our mission of wombat protection includes conservation and protection of fragmented populations, developing new co-existence plans for landowners, lobbying for tougher regulations on legal culling and undertaking research into public opinion, population status and human impact and a Murraylands Mange Management Program.
WAO is the step forward wombats have been waiting far too long for. The aim of the Wombat Awareness Organisation is to revolutionise the perception of wombats, promoting welfare and conservation of the species.
This months top topics:
 
Wombat Culling
A call to stop culling of wombats
Most of the world and certainly most Australians think wombats are "protected", but this isn't true. In N.S.W. the Department of Climate Change gives out licenses to farmers and other property owners to shoot wombats. In Victoria 193 parishes (or areas) don't even require a license. In South Australia the bare nosed wombat remains only in small clusters and isn't protected. The Southern Hairy Nosed Wombat is the states faunal emblem and suffering terribly from the drought and sarcoptic mange, yet destruction permits are still being issued.
Most normal humane people believe if a native animal is "protected" is should be afforded some rights. Were anyone in Australia to walk out and shoot all the neighbourhood dogs they would be charged. Not so when the same is done to all the wombats in an area. If the dog shooter was a lousy shot or didn't know what they were doing (as many people who shoot wombats don't), and one of the dogs crawled into a kennel and died slowly over days, they'd be pilloried even by the hard hearted. Not so when it happens to a wombat. If the dog was a bitch and her pup died slowly over days from starvation, the shooter would end up in jail. Not so when same happens to a wombat's joey.
Most people think protecting animals means not letting them get to the brink of extinction. Most people believe protection affords some degree of quality of life, habitat protection and protection from pain and disease. Most people think protection means caring for and supporting those we have and treating them kindly and humanely.
You can help by Signing our petition today!
Portee Station Conservation Project
Help us save one of South Australia's most Historical properties!
Just $40.00 (AUD) and you can buy an acre of Wombat habitat!
Help us Save the Southerns TODAY!
The Southern Hairy Nosed Wombat (Lasiorhinus latifrons) has been South Australia's faunal emblem since 1970. Unfortunately, like the beautiful Bare Nosed Wombat (Vombatus ursinus) it is a very misunderstood animal that falls victim to intolerable cruelty and is often classed as vermin just like the introduced red fox and rabbit.
The Southern Hairy Nosed Wombat inhabits dry, arid/semi arid environments and relies solidly on seasonal rainfall. The ongoing drought in South Australia is having catastrophic effects on these beautiful animals, and combined with Sarcoptic Mange and both legal and illegal culling, is pushing them towards suffering the same fate as their cousins, the critically endangered Northern Hairy Nosed Wombat (Lasiorhinus krefftii)
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