Ecologists spot super rare wombat

By Dean Murray via SWNS

Ecologists are "ecstatic" after spotting an ultra-rare wombat.

The Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) captured rare footage of a critically endangered, juvenile Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat waddling around Richard Underwood Nature Refuge (RUNR) in south-west Queensland.

The Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat is listed as critically endangered, with an estimated population of around 400 individuals. The species is rarer than the Giant Panda (1,846 individuals) and as rare as the Sumatran Tiger (400 individuals).

AWC said: "With only 400 individuals remaining in the world, every single wombat sighting counts."

One of Australia’s rarest mammals, there are only three populations of the Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat remaining in Epping Forest National Park (Scientific), a newly introduced population at Powrunna State Forest, and the RUNR site.

All three populations are protected by Queensland Government’s Department of Environment, Science and Innovation (DESI) with AWC overseeing the management of RUNR’s wombats as part of a historic agreement with DESI and the property owners signed in 2023.

Andy Howe, Australian Wildlife Conservancy Senior Field Ecologist, was scrolling through over 100 hours of motion-sensor footage captured on the eastern portion of the refuge, when the young wombat emerged from an active burrow on the screen.

He said it was a delight to see evidence of the wombats breeding in the refuge again.

“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,” said Andy. “Although this isn’t the first joey born at the refuge, it is the first juvenile spotted for a few years. Knowing the work we at AWC are doing is actively contributing to the recovery of this species, really warms the heart.”

Based on the footage, Andy believes the juvenile to be in good health with a smooth consistent coat and no obvious signs of injury. Although it is difficult to determine the wombat’s age, Andy believes the individual to be a joey that was detected as a large pouch young at the start of 2023.

“The wombat is quite robust indicating that it is feeding well and getting enough nutrition,” added Andy. “Overall, this bit of footage tells us a lot about the state of the RUNR population, showing us that the wombats have the right conditions and feel comfortable enough to breed.”

Motion-sensor cameras are set up across the nature refuge to improve data and knowledge of the species by recording their activity, behavior and signs of reproduction.

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