The wildlife rescue team at Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary in Tasmania gets a lot of unique critters in, and orphaned wombat joeys are certainly the most adorable. Most of the wombat joeys arrive at the center after their mother has been hit by a car. Safely tucked away in mom’s pouch, and protected by her incredibly strong bones, joeys often survive these car accidents. In fact, they can survive in the pouch for up to five days after their mother has died.
When the joeys arrive at the center they spend time at a foster home bonding with their carers. The animals are cuddled, fed and cleaned until they are old enough to bond with another wombat joey. Every day the joeys are moved outside for hours of play and exploration. This helps the joeys learn essential wombat life skills, such as digging, acclimating to life in burrows, and what grass to eat. As the joeys grow older and become juveniles, they live in outside enclosures and sleep underground. Finally, the wombats are transferred back to the Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary, where they will spend a few months serving as educational ambassadors while they are growing old enough and big enough to be released to the wild.
This story ran in the February, 2017 issue of Ranger Rick and the April, 2017 issue of BBC.
