'Sponsor your local'

Wombat Program  

Unfortunately, the most common link between a wombat and public perception is through a zoo or fauna park. Believe it or not, this link could be vital to the survival of the species.

Unfortunately, these large nocturnal animals do not make a great display animals. Subsequently, priority is not placed on providing large enclosures as they can be costly to construct and it is to display an animal that is asleep for the majority of the day. Providing a den that provides adequate climatic conditions is also an issue as viewing the animal can be difficult. It is imperative that wombats are supplied with access to an area to escape extreme cold and more importantly heat.

Wombats activity is dictated by the weather. In the wild, when the outside temperature is too hot or cold, the wombat will stay or retreat to the comfort of their burrow. In most captive situations, the wombat is not provided with this option and although they can acclimatise to a certain extent, it is not their ideal environment and can suffer from heat exhaustion. This may also contribute to stereotypic behaviour.

Due to these issues and the outdated minimum requirements that have severely underestimated the needs of wombats in captivity we now have a majority of unhappy animals displaying stereotypic behaviours like pacing which once again is portraying a undesirable side of the wombat to public.

Of course this does not apply to all facilities. We are focusing on removing the old enclosures and replacing them with aesthetically pleasing wombat friendly enclosures.

This may be an ambitious project but we need to start somewhere and it needs to be tackled in two stages 1. the facility and 2. the rehabilitation of the resident wombat.

Involving communities and schools with helping to raise funds to construct new enclosures for the wombat in the local zoo or fauna park will not only improve the life of the wombat and future residents but will educate everyone involved of the unique, adorable wombat.

If you work in a zoo or have seen a wombat enclosure in desperate need of a revamp contact us!          

Have you got two minutes to save a wombat? Sign our petition to make wombats a nationally protected species!