They’re arguably one of Australia’s cuddliest looking critters, but wombats are more than just a cute face. In fact, these furry marsupials are quite the poster child for ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’.

Common/bare-nosed wombat. Credit: Aaron Stevenson

Common/bare-nosed wombat. Credit: Aaron Stevenson

To celebrate International Wombat Day, here are six fun facts about wombats.

  1. There are three sub-species of Wombat – the common or bare-nosed wombat, the northern hairy-nosed wombat and the southern hairy-nosed wombat.
  2. They may not look like track and field athletes, but wombats can run at speeds of 40kph! We don’t know about you, but we certainly won’t be challenging any wombats to a foot race.
  3. They have cube-shaped poo! Yep, this is due to their lengthy digestive process (14-18 days).
  4. Wombats live in underground burrows that can be up to 30 metres long! That’s about the length of two large buses.
  5. After spending up to 16 hours per day sleeping in their burrows, wombats will travel up to 3kms per night looking for food. That’s quite the journey for some grass, shoots, roots and shrubs!
  6. You do not want to mess with a wombat. If threatened, wombats can crush a predator’s skull between their rear-end and the roof of their burrow. They can also deliver a nasty bite if provoked.

Unfortunately for wombats it’s not all eating grass and weaponising their rear-ends. The northern hairy-nosed wombat is listed as critically endangered nationally and extinct in NSW. In 2021, there was estimated to be only 315 individuals remaining.

A northern hairy-nosed wombat

A northern hairy-nosed wombat

Australia has a terrible record of bulldozing the bush. This affects all three sub-species of wombat who need a safe habitat in which to live, feed and raise their young. As we build more suburbs, facilities and poorly placed roads into their habitat, wombats are increasingly falling victim to car strikes. On top of these challenges, wombats must compete for resources with introduced animals such as rabbits, and some populations have been decimated by infestations of a deadly mange mite.

We can’t imagine a world without these unique, beautiful and feisty creatures.

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek loves a cute and cuddly photo op with a wombat, it’s time her government delivers on strong nature laws that actually protect this Aussie icon and its home from being destroyed.

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek cuddling a wombat

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek cuddling a wombat

Join 500,000+ people who have already demanded that the Albanese Government delivers on strong nature laws that protect animals like wombats.

Australian Conservation Foundation