Emergency Wombat Care

If you find a dead wombat, as long as it's safe to do so, you should check its pouch to see if there are any young.  Young wombats can survive for several days after the mother has been killed.  Sometimes the young wombat will be nearby the mother, so you should also check the general vicinity.

There's an excellent article, "How to safely remove a joey from the pouch of its dead mother", over at the Fourth Crossing Wildlife Site. They also have a good page on What to keep in a Wildlife Rescue Kit.

If you find a baby wombat, it has probably suffered a great deal of stress and trauma.  Keep it warm by wrapping it in a blanket or towel, and loosely cover its head to help calm it.  A pillowcase or something similar is even better, as it is more like the mother's pouch.  Natural fibre material such as cotton or wool are best.  Ideally, the wrapped baby wombat should be placed under your shirt or jacket to warm it.  Your heartbeat will help to put the wombat at ease.  The baby wombat will need to be kept near a heat source, warm, not hot, for as long as you have it.  It should be handled as little as possible and kept quiet and in the dark in order to minimize its stress.

Adult wombats are very strong and have sharp teeth and claws, so if you find a larger injured animal, you must be extremely careful.  An injured animal will not know you're trying to help it.  The larger wombat can also be wrapped in a blanket, but it should be kept in a strong box or cage or some place where you can secure it in case it gets scared or becomes aggressive.

Don't feed a wombat milk, as they require a special formula.  Cow's milk can be lethal.  Water or sugar water can be used if needed.  Human food is not suitable for a wombat, young or old.

It is best to get the wombat to a local registered wildlife carer as soon as possible so that it has the best chance for survival.  Australian Fauna Care has an excellent database of carers all over Australia, including their addresses and phone numbers.  They will ensure that the wombat gets the appropriate care.

Alternatively, you could take an injured wombat to your local vet, or there are various wildlife rescue organizations that you can contact.  You can visit their websites, or call their rescue hotlines (alphabetical by state):

If you know of any other rescue organizations, please contact us at  so that we can add them to the above list.


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