Wombats
 Wombats are very lovable and playful marsupials wanting your attention when young and in care. As with all of our marsupials they live in their mother's pouch for many months and share a very close bond until they become independent.
The East Gippsland region provides some great habitat for Wombats and the Common Wombat (Vombatus ursinus) is the local species. It loves the forested mountains which can be burrowed into and lots of native grass to eat. A full grown adult wombat is big - around 30kg and sometimes up to 40kg (66 to 88lbs) ... and strong and determined. They push through fences if they are in the way and many farmers do not want them on their properties as they say the holes they leave behind them can open the way for predators and feral animals.
Wombats in East Gippsland are not protected so are sometimes killed, injured or orphaned by humans.
Chiefly nocturnal and strictly herbivorous, they eat grasses and in the case of the common wombat (Vombatus ursinus), the inner bark of tree and shrub roots. They have continuously growing rootless teeth adapted to their tough diet. They don't have canine teeth but two incisor teeth in each jaw which are rodentlike. They have one young at a time (rarely twins) which develops for five months or longer in a pouch that opens rearward (to keep out dirt as it burrows) . The Common Wombat becomes sexually mature at two years of age. It is the largest burrowing mammal which makes a grassy nest at the end of a large underground burrow. A wombat's burrow may be as long as 30 metres, often with complicated tunnels which are kept very clean and provide a cool refuge. The wombat has unusual, cube-shaped dung. The Wombat is related to the Koala and is also a solitary marsupial.
Wombat Orphans
Wombats are usually in care for around 18 months or about 2 years if they have been rescued as pinkies.
Most of our orphans come into care when they are about 5 to 6 months old, weighing about 1kg (2 lb) with just a fine layer of fur over their body ("in velvet") and needing 4 - 5 bottles per day. They need a substitute 'mum' as they are affectionate and playful - a bit like a puppy. Having a wombat friend or two about the same age is important so they have company and are not TOO demanding and needing the attention of their human 'mum' every minute.
If younger they are called "pinkies" as they have no fur and their lips are still joined. These pinkies need intensive care and tube feeding which is very time consuming. As all unfurred marsupials cannot regulate their own temperature, they need a constant source of warmth. For a wombat to grow from this furless stage to independence could take 2 to 2 1/2 years. Pinkies require feeds every 3 to 4 hours, temperature checks and lubricating to prevent their skin from drying out. Their mother's pouch would generally be 34 - 36 degrees centigrade (about 95 Fahrenheit) and moist.
Once they reach around 8 kg (18 lbs) they are usually housed outside in the Stage 2 pen.
At 18 months they weigh about 16 to 24 kg (35 to 53 lbs) and becoming very independent. They are no longer interested in being handled and it can become quite dangerous for the carer. They have drifted away from carer and a burrow is the safest place - for everyone concerned.
Releasing them back into the wild when they are over 20 kg (44 lbs) or around 2 years old is a challenging and heart-wrenching time. The timing depends upon the individual and two are usually released together to help them settle in.
Rearing orphans is expensive but rewarding for the voluntary carer. A special bond is created with these creatures and the people who 'adopt' them during their care feel part of this bond as well.
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