WOMBAT RESCUE
By Claudette Vaughan

Roz Holme and her husband have been rescuing Wombats their whole lives. We wanted to find out more:

Abolitionist: Wombats are native only to Australia. Are we looking after them correctly?

Roz Holme: No, I think we all could do a much better job of looking after them and looking after all wildlife for that matter. Driving slower in wildlife areas would help enormously to control the numbers of wombats being run over on our roads daily. Wombats are dying at an enormous rate. The Common Wombat in particular suffers from sarcoptic mange. This is a mite that burrows into the keratinising layers of the epidermis causing severe pruritis and other problems. We can all help by reporting these sick animals to wildlife groups or your NPW so they can be treated and saved quickly.

Abolitionist: There are two species of wombats, the Common Wombat and the Hairy-Nosed Wombat?

Roz Holme: No, there are 3. The Common Wombat is found in most parts of Australia. The Southern Hairy Nose is found in semi arid land in south Australia and in western Australia the Northern Hairy Nose wombats which is critically endangered resides in central Queensland [Epping forest]. There are only about 100 of the Northern Hairy Nose Wombats left. They are living in a area which is classified as a scientific park.

Abolitionist: They are known for their love of solitude, their strength and they are proficient diggers. What other unique qualities do they possess, Roz?

Roz Holme: Did you know they can reach lightening speeds if needed? They have been known to reach 40kil/an hour! They have a pouch that faces backwards and they are very intelligent animals. They will also climb if need be. Did you know their closest living relative is a koala?

Abolitionist: How does one rescue a wombat?

Roz Holme: First beware of teeth and claws. Wombats can be very aggressive and will attack you. To capture them throw a blanket over the animal making sure their eyes are covered then to handle hold under their forelimbs [which is his front legs]. Hold the wombat so his back is in front of you then put into a large crate. At our place we also use a large net to treat them for mange on site then release them so they are not too stressed.

Abolitionist: What about baby wombats? How are they rehabilitated if mother is run down on the road?

Roz Holme: If you see a wombat who’s been hit, then always check the pouch for any young. If this has occurred then remove the joey from the pouch slowly using a towel or anything soft and clean and try to envelop the joey. We also try to rub the mothers pouch for the scent as this will also help calm them. At all times you must keep the joey warm and get to a carer as quickly as you can. Another thing to watch for is that the wombat joey isn’t suffering from heat stress. To raise a baby wombat - they are great, but you must be very dedicated and have lots of time on your hands. They must be fed around the clock 3-4 hourly feeds. They require special milk as all joeys are lactose intolerant and can die if given cows milk. So keep them quiet and in a dark place. They stress very easy as do all wildlife. You will have these animals for a long time as they stay with their natural mum for over 12 months so you have to make sure she/he is old and healthy to look after herself in the wild.

Abolitionist: Apparently they are great fighters especially when their young are in danger. Is this correct?

Roz Holme: Yes they are very protective of their young and there’s a very intense bond which does not break until the joey is about 15 odd months old maybe longer for female joeys. They are also very territorial and will fight to protect their area males. The females are known to stand their ground. Males will also make sure no other males move in on their females. We have had wombats in with teeth marks and rips in their fur and are very badly injured just from them fighting.

Abolitionist: Is this the major cause of accident for the wombat? I believe the Dingo is the only natural predator the wombat has?

Roz Holme: Yes. I think domestic dogs are also predators. We rescued a baby after mum was attacked by dogs and killed her. She had mange though which is their biggest killer and if not treated they die. Then there are cars! So many get hit and killed on our roads every day more people should be aware of all the wildlife areas to slow down and if they do hit any wildlife, check for any pouch young and drag the adult wombat off the road out of the way.

Abolitionist: Are wombats friendly?

Roz Holme: No, wild ones are not at all. They will bite hard or run away from you. They alert you by growling, hissing, and pawing at the ground and ripping up dirt to warn you, but the babies can be quite affectionate and cuddly. They do bond with you and play so they can be very destructive in your house which will never look the same again!

Abolitionist: Why do baby wombats like to walk in-between a human’s feet while you are walking?

Roz Holme: Mum teaches them early to follow her and stay close so no harm can come to them. It’s really about instincts. I guess they have a great bond with the carer so we try to raise them with a buddy if we can so they don’t imprint on their human mum.

Abolitionist: Where do wombats live?

Roz Holme: The main habitat for wombats are forest areas, often mountainous rocks and creek beds. Anywhere as long as they can dig a burrow. There must be grazing areas close by and trees available as wombats do love eating roots and bulbs of shrubs.

Abolitionist: Please tell us a few stories about your experiences with wombats?

Roz Holme: We have been doing this for a very long time now because we really love these animals. Once we got a phone call from Jackie who works at the reptile park near us and she asked if we could help her out with a wombat joey. We were then asked to go to the Kerry Anne Kennelly Show. Yes we agreed to go. We found out that we had to surprise Lilly Tomlin. She was such a lovely person and she had never seen a wombat before. In front of TV cameras rolling we let her give him his bottle. She loved that so much so did all the people on the show. It was great fun. I have always had wildlife living with us so I don’t think of people who have never had the pleasure of touching and holding a wombat. It’s great to see peoples’ faces light up when the see any of our wildlife. Once we had a kangaroo handed in that people tried to raise themselves [his mother was shot by shooters]. When we finally got him, I had one look at him and rushed him straight to our vet. He was so dehydrated his toe was broken and his fingers had pellets in them. We thought he would die but after his foot was plastered and pined and two of his fingers were amputated he did live. With a lot of hard work on our part it was worth it in the end. He was released on our own release site and wildlife refuge we bought to save these animals. It’s a safe fenced property so they have a better, full and happy life without being hunted.

Abolitionist: How are you funded to continue your work?

Roz: We are not funded by anyone. We do this for the love of our wildlife. My husband I work very hard and long hours to pay for all our costs which at time is very expensive, particularly vet bills and milk costs but it is worth every penny to us.

Abolitionist: Has it been worth it?

Roz Holme: When you see these wonderful animals well again and able to be released back into the wild, and then they come back to visit you with joeys of their own to show you, it’s worth it.

Contact Roz at Wombat Rescue at: wombaroo10@bigpond.com.au