What’s the story behind this grumpy wombat roaming the streets in Canberra?
It wasn’t keen on the company by the looks of it.
Wombats aren’t usually spotted walking down the pavement in Australia, and when this one was seen, it wasn’t keen on the attention.
Twitter user Jolene Laverty filmed the marsupial’s stroll through suburban Canberra, but allowed the creature to go its own way after it made its feelings clear.
But why did it make its way into the area in the first place?
“I called Wildlife Rescue, and a few other people had also called, so they knew the path it was on, and that it had travelled some distance,” said Laverty.
“They advised to just let it do its thing. It was determined to get wherever it was going, and wasn’t bothered by me much (except to growl when I got too close).”
Laverty mentioned that someone who had lived in Canberra for 23 years told her they’d never seen a wombat roaming around like that before, while others said she was lucky to get away without being attacked by the animal.
“It looked really healthy and strong, just a little lost,” she said. “A few people have contacted me to say they’d seen a wombat in the same area, so perhaps it has a burrow somewhere.
“Wombats really aren’t a common sighting in Canberra, at least not alive. They’re nocturnal bush dwellers and quite shy. They’re also really fierce when provoked.”
As for why this particular wombat was roaming around, some people expressed concern that it might have been mange-infected, while Laverty wondered whether its habitat might have been affected by weather.
“Some people were tweeting me worried that this one might have been infected, because it was out during the day,” she said.
“Apparently, if they’re sick they’re more likely to be up and about during the day to try to eat more for the energy required to tackle the mange. This one looked pretty healthy to me though.
“There had been a big storm in Canberra the night before this happened, so I wondered if perhaps its burrow got damaged.”
Whatever the reason for this wombat’s day out, it doesn’t look like it’s after a walking buddy.
