They’re one of Australia’s most-loved and placid animals but now, wombats are trouble. In our capital territory the little guys have been struck down with a mite infestation and it’s bad, real bad, with wombats literally scratching themselves to death.
ACT wildlife has since received $19,830 in funding from the ACT Government to treat the infestation, known as mange, but needs volunteers to help implement the program. The disease is potentially life-threatening and, since it’s an introduced virus, it’s particularly challenging for our wombats to overcome.
“The mite actually burrows under the wombat’s skin and it causes a lot of itching,” ACT Wildlife secretary Dee Harmer told ABC News.
“The wombat scratches and carries on, trying to get rid of that, and it causes scabs.”
While mange itself is not life-threatening, the infections from the scabs are.
“They scab up quite badly, the scabs form cracks in the skin and that’s what gets flyblown or infected. And they die really slow, horrible deaths.”
The treatment program consists of attaching a plastic flap to burrows which is hooked up to a wire frame with a cup of solution attached. When the wombat enters the burrow, the treatment solution tips onto their back, killing the mites – so much the same as de-fleaing a cat or dog. The program will be rolled out across 300 burrows in the ACT with repeated treatments needed over the course of four months.
Volunteers can get involved in a numbers of ways. To register your interest visit the ACT Wildlife website or call 0432 300 033.
Good luck, little buddies and here’s hoping you make a speedy recovery.
