‘One of Australia’s rarest mammals’ wanders past camera. See the ‘robust’ creature

Under the cover of darkness, “one of Australia’s rarest mammals” ventured out of its burrow and across the rocky landscape as a nearby camera captured every moment of the rare sighting.

Ecologist Andy Howe “was scrolling through over 100 hours” of footage from wildlife cameras at the Richard Underwood Nature Refuge when something caught his attention, the Australian Wildlife Conservancy said in a Sept. 3 news release.

Two short video clips showed a young, rotund animal emerge from a burrow and walk a short distance.

It was a northern hairy-nosed wombat — one of only 400 left in the world, the conservancy said.

Northern hairy-nosed wombats are the “ largest burrowing marsupial in the world,” reaching over 3 feet in length and over 60 pounds, according to an article from the conservancy. They have “a broad nose, pointy ears, soft greyish fur and faint black eye patches.”

The species’ population declined for decades due to predation and habitat destruction, eventually becoming “one of Australia’s rarest mammals,” the conservancy said.

A video shared by the organization on YouTube shows the rare northern hairy-nosed wombat approach the camera, stop for a moment and then walk out of view.

“The wombat is quite robust, indicating that it is feeding well and getting enough nutrition,” Howe said in the release. He also described the wombat as healthy and young, likely about 2 years old.

“Although this isn’t the first joey born at the refuge, it is the first juvenile spotted for a few years,” Howe said.

“Overall, this bit of footage tells us a lot about the state of the (nature reserve’s) population, showing us that the wombats have the right conditions and feel comfortable enough to breed,” Howe said. “It’s very gratifying to know that one of the world’s most critically endangered animals is doing well and breeding within the safety of the fenced area.”

The young wombat was filmed on two nights in June, according to video footage shared with McClatchy News.

The organization plans to continue its wombat recovery programs and population monitoring efforts, according to the release.

The Richard Underwood Nature Refuge is in Queensland and a roughly 600-mile drive northwest from Sydney.

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