It is unusual to find a young wombat without its mother. However, this baby wombat has been found alone as a result of the devastating wildfires raging in Australia.
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- I'm here with Morgan from the Wildlife Rescue South Coast.
And Morgan has found one of my favorite Australian native animals, which is a baby wombat.
Where did you find the wombat?
- So I received this wombat off a member of public, just a few hours ago who found it on Bendalong Road in one of our really badly burnt out bush areas.
And it's very unusual that they would find a wombat this size on its own.
(relaxing chime music) - Same too.
Dehydrated though.
- The mother has left the joey in the burrow, and she's gone out for a feed, got burned come back to the burrow and she's died because she actually smells very strongly of-- - Dead mother. - Yeah.
- Ticks.
- There is definitely something wrong with her.
She's not acting like a normal wombat should, a healthy wombat should.
Though, I can't see any burns on her, which is why I do believe that she's been safely in the burrow while the fires hit.
She'll be in care for at least a year, maybe 18 months up to two years.
These guys, being a female she would be about 20 kilos before she could be released and hold her own in the world.
- But she'll most likely be okay.
- I think so, I hope so, yeah.
I think she's got a good chance.