I Want One: Wombats As Pets

If you've been to the comments section of any wombat rescue group, the #1 comment we get is "I want one!" closely followed by "How do I get one?". Wombats are adorable! I get it, I love them too. From the videos and images you see on social media, it is easy to imagine having one roaming around your backyard. They're just like a big Australian rabbit, right?

Can you have a wombat as a pet?

Wombats cannot be exported out of Australia, but even if you're lucky enough to be Australian, the answer is still legally no, wombats are a protected species. It is illegal to 'possess' a wombat without a relevant license or permit. These exhibition licenses/permits are only provided to zoos or parks with the relevant facilities, resources and staff to appropriately care for these animals. The exception to this rule is rehabilitation licensing which is a conditional permit that allows for rescue groups to temporarily care for injured or orphaned animals with the specific purpose of releasing them back into their native habitat. 

However, the legality of it isn't always enough to put people off wanting to raise a baby wombat to keep as a pet. So let's go into why wombats are terrible pets and it's best for everyone to let them be wild. 

Temperament: Lean, Mean, Biting Machines

Wombats are beautiful animals and they are delightful babies to raise. However, as our sweet orphaned joeys mature into adults, they almost always become solitary, nocturnal, territorial and even aggressive. They are not a species that seek or enjoy human contact after they reach sexual maturity. Additionally, unless you're awake between midnight and 5am, you're very unlikely to see them very much. 

It is important to realise that adult wombats can be dangerous. Depending on the subspecies, these marsupials can exceed 35kg (77lbs) of muscle, they are unbelievably strong, with long claws and an extremely powerful bite. Handling an adult wombat is very challenging and can have a significant risk of injury, which makes monitoring their health or providing veterinary care extremely difficult. This should be left to appropriately trained staff at facilities that have the resources to do this safely. 

Enclosure Requirements:

Unless you have far more resources than most, you will never be able to replicate the freedom of the Australian bush to adequately keep a wombat happy. They deserve to live a wild life. 

If you were to keep a wombat captive, the minimum requirements on their enclosures vary state by state for exhibitors. However they require something along the lines of:

•  A huge space, the minimum prescription varies but approximately 400m2 has been suggested to reduce stress behaviours such as pacing and escape attempts. Even though you don't see wombats out during the day, they are very active during the early hours of the morning and can travel 3km (1.86 miles) a night in their territory.
• Fencing 1.2m high that is trenched 600-1000mm beneath the ground, or has a metal apron buried internally at a 90 degree angle from the fence. 
• Space and appropriate soil for 1-3 natural burrows. One burrow can be 20m long, so plenty of vertical space is essential.
• Artificial burrows such as concrete tunnels and shelter from the heat. 
• Native grasses, branches, logs, rocks, foliage and trees for enrichment.

All of the above considered, wombats are absolutely the most stubborn and determined animals. If they want to get out, where there is a wombat will, there is a wombat way. 

Feeding Requirements:

Feeding a wombat is specialised, they require a high volume, low energy source of feed. This is usually large quantities of fresh native grasses, meadow hay and a specialised pellet where available. This means committing to sourcing large amounts of fresh, native, pesticide free grass daily for upwards of 20 years.

Ethics & Cruelty:

Keeping a healthy adult wombat in captivity is a full time job for dedicated and trained professionals. It is cruel to subject these beautiful animals to an environment that doesn't meet the complex requirements for their mental and physical health. As rescue organisations, we aim to release animals as soon as safely possible. The longer they are kept out of the wild, the less likely it becomes that they will be able to develop or regain their natural behaviours. As much as we love them, the kindest thing we can do for our treasured wombats is to let them live a wild life and have joeys of their own. 

Veterinary Care:
Rescued wombats are kept in artificial unnatural environments and despite our best efforts, these babies almost invariably need to see a vet at least once but more likely multiple times throughout their time in care. These vet bills are often very costly but more importantly, they require treatment from veterinarians who have a speciailisation in wildlife. A member of the public may not be able to get appropriate treatment for their animals without an association with the relevant organisation.

Conservation: 

Wild wombat populations already face huge threats from habitat loss, diseases like mange, domestic animal attacks and vehicle collisions. Keeping wombats in captivity as pets for non-conservation purposes further exacerbates the challenges that they face. The protection of wild wombats is critical, not only for the species itself but also for the bushland they inhabit. Their digging activities help aerate the tough soil, their burrows provide shelter during bushfires and heat events and its even considered they may provide a water source for other wildlife during the drought. 

Raising Orphans:

Raising an orphaned wombats is incredibly rewarding but can be very difficult, and it truly 'takes a village'. It is roughly an 18 month process and you really do need the support system of your local rescue organisation. 

So often people find and want to keep these animals because they are cute, their kids love them or they genuinely want to help. We understand that but it is incredibly difficult for us as carers to take on animals that have been kept by members of the public for longer than 48hrs after Mum's colostrum has begun to pass out of their system. Often these animals are handed over when they start to get sick because they have been on the wrong milk, the wrong teat, wrong feed schedule, in the wrong conditions, are extremely stressed or have a disease like thrush advanced beyond treatment and will pass away in our care despite our best efforts (I will have a blog post about Mira in the coming weeks). It is heartbreaking to put our heart and soul into trying to save these babies and losing them anyway, when they could have had a long happy life with the support of a trained carer with the right equipment and experience. 

If you want to rescue and raise wombats, please sign up for your local rescue organisation and get the support to do so properly. We provide training, equipment, milk, emotional support, respite care and suitable release locations. 

Thank you for loving wombats:

If you've gotten this far, thank you for reading and loving wombats enough to do the right thing by them. I am not a wombat expert by any stretch of the imagination and I am pretty new to all of this myself. However I feel that as someone who posts images and videos of my rescue wombats on social media, I have a responsibility to ensure that people know they are not pets, but are beautiful wild animals that deserve to stay wild.