Wombat Appeal

Areas of Tasmania’s Wombat population are experiencing severe outbreaks of wombat mange, where over 90% of the local wombats have died due to the disease. The reason for the severe outbreaks is unknown, and while efforts are being made to help individual wombats, we are now focusing holistically on the wombat population across the entire island state of Tasmania. Conservation Volunteers Australia in conjunction with the University of Tasmania and the Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment has teamed up to tackle the issue and gather much needed data to make long term strategic decisions that will benefit all wombats. 

We are now conducting wombat surveys twice a year across seven key locations around the state. Our aim is to help get a better understanding of mange prevalence at a population level. Surveys at each site are carried out over three days, and are done pre-dusk and repeated in the dark. Volunteers are also collecting samples of scats, which will be analysed to see if DNA has any impact on a wombat's susceptibility to contracting mange. The information obtained as part of this project will help determine best practice mange management across the state. 

When surveying wombats, our volunteers use binoculars, spotting scopes and spotlights at night to look for signs of hair-loss on the sides of the wombats. Interestingly, hair-loss on the backside of the wombat is not necessarily indicative of mange, as wombats will often take a bite at the rump of a nearby wombat as a territorial behaviour. When hair-loss is noticed, volunteers classify the severity of the hair-loss on 4 segments of the animal (rear, side, front, and head) on both sides of the body.  The scats (droppings) collected from each site are sent off to the lab for analysis where parasite egg counts will take place alongside the DNA testing.

Projects have been completed at Arthur-Pieman Conservation Area, Narawntapu National Park, Mt William National Park, Flinders Island, Central Plateau, Freycinet and Tasman Peninsula. It was encouraging to find healthy wombats with little or no sign of mange in several locations, but our surveys highlighted that mange is prevalent and severe in some individuals at Narawntapu National Park, Mt William National Park, Central Highlands and Flinders Island.

The data collected so far has been very insightful and valuable, but we need to continue this program to really gain a full picture of what is happening to these beloved marsupials across Tasmania. We’d like to thank all our wonderful volunteers who have braved the weather and late nights in remote areas to monitor these wombats. We would also like to thank our generous donors at Global Giving who are a crucial part of our success in this project - you really are helping to make a difference to the survival of our wombats!

We hope you have a safe and happy holiday season, and we look forward updating you on our progress in 2018.