Little Wilbur is a wombat joey, an adorable six-month-old marsupial that’s getting ’round the clock care from Keeper Seleena De Gelder at the Australian Reptile Park on the Central Coast of New South Wales. Via Auburn Pub in early October 2023:
“Last week, the tiny joey was handed to the Park after a passer-by had discovered that a wombat had unfortunately been hit by a car. Seeing fluttering movements from the pouch, the rescuer found the baby wombat inside and quickly brought the joey to the Park to be cared for…”
“Knowing that Wilbur had a rough start to life, Ms De Gelder noted that, ‘The first week of care is always critical with little orphans like Wilbur. It’s hard to know if they’ve been exposed to disease, are malnourished, or even injured in the accident. We’ve been monitoring him closely and he’s pulling through like a champion.'”
“Ms de Gelder goes on to explain ‘Cars are one of the biggest threats to our Aussie wildlife. With so many people now out on the roads these school holidays, we are calling for people to slow down. Too many animals are killed by vehicles each year and if we all took a little more care, we can decrease the number dramatically!'”
The Park’s team will continue to help Wilbur regain his health and strength. They’re aiming to release him back into the wild at around 12 months of age.
File under: Cute. Watch these videos next:
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