Wombats in Tasmania

INTRO: We’ve been in Australia for over two years now and we’re still blown away by the sheer variety and uniqueness of the wild animals and birds that we come across whenever we venture outdoors. It is simply magical. Allow me to share some of them with you, captured by our very own camera lens. As you can tell, they do love to pose.

#5 The Wombat
March 2011, Kelso, Tasmania

Wombats are marsupials found primarily in south eastern Australia and Tasmania, protected under Australian Law, and live in complex underground tunnel systems dug with their powerful teeth and claws. They have adapted to their obsessive digging habits by developing backward facing pouches to protect their off spring from the spray of debris as they burrow.   

A large Wombat burrow in
Lake Eildon National Park, VIC.

Although they are quite common, and grow to a stocky one metre wide, they can be difficult to spot as they are largely nocturnal. When I took the photo above in Northern Tasmania in March 2011, I was lying on the ground just a few metres away, and this gorgeous specimen seemed completely oblivious to my presence. That may have something to do them coming to terms with the Big 4 Caravan Park they now share their homes with, because generally they are known to defend their patch aggressively, even turning on humans. The common advice is to climb up a tree and wait until the Wombat eventually walks away.  

When it comes to defending itself against its primary predators (Dingoes and Tasmanian devils), it has a unique approach - it dives head first into its burrow and sticks it bum out of the den. As the creature approaches, it whacks it with donkey kicks from its hind legs!  To give you an idea of how big the burrows are, we found this one just a few weeks ago in Northern Victoria.

I can't find any reported connection between the Wombat and the Wombles, those eco-friendly warriors from the seventies, but I for one wouldn't be surprised if author Elisabeth Beresford had used these furry creatures for more than just a touch of inspiration.

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WHERE WE FOUND WOMBATS: