Vombatus ursinus

4 Common wombat, Bare-nosed Wombat at Hackett, ACT

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Identification history

	Vombatus ursinus	18 May 2023	DonFletcher
	Vombatus ursinus	18 May 2023	msietsma

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Significant sighting

DonFletcher noted:

19 May 2023

Wombat records are rare in Ainslie Majura and surrounding suburbs: 1994 in suburb at Ainslie; 2018 scats seen near Mt Ainslie Drive; 2020 animal in its burrow on NE side of Majura; now this record near the former Hackett Horse Paddocks, one of the few parts of Ainslie Majura with optimal wombat habitat.

User's notes

The wombat was on the edge of the carpark on Antill St, and rain into the drain. It has a bald spot on its forehead which may be mange, but didn't seem to have mange on the body from what I could see.

8 comments

DonFletcher wrote:

19 May 2023

Thanks Mary for this record. It is only the fourth for Ainslie Majura and vicinity. The four records are widely dispersed in space and time: 1994 in suburb at Ainslie; 2018 droppings near Ainslie Drive; 2020 animal in its burrow on NE side of Majura; and your 2023 record. Only the 2020 one is clearly a resident animal.

Fifty years ago there were none because wombats had been extirpated from the city area but now in Canberra wombats are increasingly being reared in captivity. The few records at Ainslie Majura are consistent with occasional releases of hand reared wombats. In other mammal species, research shows that animals released by wildlife carers have low survival. And much of A-M is sub-optimal habitat for wombats. But the horse paddocks near your observation include ideal wombat habitat. It seems we are likely to eventually see a wild population of wombats at Ainslie Majura. Perhaps your observation is an early one of those?

natureguy wrote:

19 May 2023

Hi @DonFletcher, unfortunately I don't have any photos but whilst on this topic you might be interested in a Wombat sighting I had sometime last year (don't remember the exact date) at night when leaving Canberra. It was right next to the road near the first big roundabout at Antill St and Federal Hwy, Watson. Thought it was a bit odd at the time but in line with this seems quite unusual. Thanks

abread111 wrote:

21 May 2023

About ideal wombat habitat: Where we lived in the hills near Nangus, we had wombats in what was very steep and generally rocky country, so I would not discount the possibility that wombats could live happily on Mt Majura-Ainslie in between the rocks.

DonFletcher wrote:

22 May 2023

Hi @abread111, I agree wombats could live all over Ainslie-Majura. Food is generally what determines population density and there is more grass produced on lower slopes with higher fertility and deeper soil, so for want of better info, I see those areas as 'optimal' habitat. Mostly they are covered with houses or rural lease. The Hackett Horse Paddocks are one of the exceptions.

Benjob wrote:

30 May 2023

Wombat is still around as of 27 may. I observed quite a lot of fresh wombat droppings around the verco st entrance to the reserve in hackett.

DonFletcher wrote:

30 May 2023

So 9 days so far, that we know of. It would be interesting if we could tell if it survives until mid October. (Herbivores that do not get enough food tend to die in early spring, from the effects of winter so August and September are telling times.)

Benjob wrote:

1 Jul 2023

July 1 update - Sighting of the resident? Hackett wombat last night, seems to live in a drain. Almost daily fresh poo around some native grasses we have planted.

DonFletcher wrote:

1 Jul 2023

Good job

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