Australian endangered species Northern hairy-nosed wombats just reached an amazing milestone. Three joeys were just born in the wild at a conservation breeding site in Queensland! This event is a first for these critically endangered wombats to have bred in the wild since their release. Conservationists have much to celebrate with this unusual and positive turn of events. It’s their best hope for saving a species that almost went extinct in the 1980s.
During the 1980s, the Northern hairy-nosed wombat population dropped to as low as 35 individuals, causing conservationists to fear for their survival. These burrowing wombats were declared the world’s largest burrowing marsupials. As a consequence these charismatic little guys have been the poster child of efforts by Australian Wildlife Conservancy and Wombat Foundation to conserve them. Over the summer, conservationists released these 36 wombats into the wild in hopes of restoring their population. Further, this pilot was conducted on a property owned and managed by Queensland State Government’s Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovations.
Images recorded by trail cameras placed at the release site have shown the wombats thriving in their new environment. The recent photos of these joeys tucked away in their mothers’ pouches have sent conservationists and wildlife lovers reeling with excitement. The Queensland Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation announced this remarkable news in a release dated October 24.
Rachel Chesher, regional director with the Queensland Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation, is excited over the joeys’ birth. She was beaming with delight during last week’s big announcement.
“These babies are a clear tick of approval from the wombats, and a step closer to our goal of establishing a self-sustaining population.” – Rachel Chesher
The Wombat Foundation, a partner of Freedom of Animals in this campaign, praised this monumental achievement on social media. Their Facebook post highlighted the joy of spotting “three little bulges” in the mothers’ pouches, illustrating the success of their joint conservation efforts.
The ambitious conservation project would go a long way to ensuring a safer future for these endearing, distinctive marsupials. Rachel Chesher reaffirmed their commitment to this cause:
“We’ll continue delivering a better future for the northern hairy-nosed wombat, with our decades of research, experience and expertise guiding our decisions.” – Rachel Chesher
These successful collaborative efforts across a variety of organizations show a developing commitment to saving our most critically endangered species. The Australian Wildlife Conservancy leads efforts to save Northern hairy-nosed wombats. They’re committed to make sure that future generations can see these incredible animals.