Common wombat appeal
By: AG Society
| June-17-2009
The AG Society is raising funds to help build the Cedar Creek Wombat Hospital.
Common wombat (Photo: Mitch Reardon)
WHAT Common wombat Vombatus ursinus
WHERE Eastern NSW, south-eastern Victoria, south-eastern SA, Tasmania
WHY The common wombat is Australia’s marsupial bulldozer. Found throughout south-eastern Australia, it ranges from sea level to our alpine regions.
There are three subspecies of common wombat: Vombatus ursinus ursinus, now restricted to Flinders Island; Vombatus ursinus platyrhinus, found on mainland Australia; and Vombatus ursinus tasmaniensis, found in Tasmania.
Sarcoptic mange is considered one of the biggest threats to wombat populations across southern Australia. It is an insidious, infectious disease caused by a mite that burrows under the skin of free-ranging wombats. Left untreated, these wombats die a slow and painful death.
Wildlife carers Roz and Kev Holme have been running Cedar Creek Wombat Rescue in Cedar Creek, NSW, for nearly two decades.
The AG Society is raising funds to help the duo build a much-needed wombat hospital, and to support their vital treatment program.