This cannot end well. I'll go for the cute factor, however it's first and foremost a wild (as in undomesticated) animal. Just because you raised it doesn't automatically make it tame. See Siegfried and Roy.
When I went to Australia, we went to a zoo and I literally would not leave the wombat petting area. I was there or about 2 hours and then went back before we left. I was in tears when I left. (Seriously, I'm not kidding that I'm like Kristen Bell is with sloths.)
Ok, after a little more research, turns out they're huge, destructive, nocturnal, illegal and can be a bit nasty when they're older. They're still cute to look at. Oh well. here's a bit of info I found. :
08-20-2001, 06:47 PM 1) Wombats aren't common pets in Australia. Nor are kangaroos or virtually any othe native mammal. Marsupials have all sorts of problems coping with life in the suburbs, including extreme sensititivity to most herbicides and pesticides. Even the pyrethroids that are common in aerosol insecticides, that are quite harmless to other mammals, will roll marsupials in low concentrations. Added to this permits are required to keep native animals and I don't think any state is going to give permission for a wombat. You certainly couldn't get a permit where I live.
2)Wombats are immensely strong for thir size and given to be fairly nomadic if conditions don't suit them perfectly. Being capable of digging through most wire netting the only way you could keep one as a pet would be to bury weldmesh about 4 feet in the ground, or else concrete the edge of your yard to about the same depth. This is a bit beyond what most people would be prepared to do to keep a pet. The lengths landholders have been forced to go through to control wombats has been extraordinary.
3)As Primaflora says these aren't exactly small animals. They eat large amounts of food and would completely destroy a suburban yard in about 2 nights.
4)Wombats, if they ever got into the wild, could pose a massive threat. They eat considerable amounts of food and breed reasonably fast for a large animal. In Australia they have caused massive problems smashing down fences, eating pasture and crops and, probably most importantly, killing stock. No I'm not joking. Cattle and horses in wombat country quite often fall through the burrows, which are up to 3 metres deep, and as a result break legs, effectively killing them. For this reason extermination campaigns against wombats were carried out in all parts of the country. There's a line in the classic Australian poem 'The Man From Snowy River' that runs "The wild hop scrub grew thickly, and the hidden ground was full, of wombat holes, and any slip was death." Wombats have also been known to kill children. Their defence against predators entering their burows is to turn around and run backwards under it. They then lift their body and crush the animal to death agaisnt the burrow roof. Since the burrows are more than large enough to admit a child, and children will explore caves the inevitable has happned more than once. Anyone debating whether wombats cause problems should probably read Scylla's classic thread on demon grounhogs from hell, and then multiply the problem 10 fold to account for a considerably bigger animal with no predators and no parasites. Not a nice scenario.
5)Wombats aren't an endangered species. The common wombat is listed as, not surprisingly, common. The Southern hairy nose is listed as common but restricted IIRC, while the Northern hairy nose is the most endangered mammal on the planet with about 30 breeding femlaes in an area of about 4 square km.
6)Wombats are definitely cute and cuddly. Even wild caught specimens are so dopey they'll happily let you handle them so long as you don't try to turn them over. They're incredibly stupid, a bit like a retarded puppy, but oh so cute.
7) It's next to impossible to get a private export permit even for major pest species like kangaroos, cockatoos and galahs that are shot and poisoned in their thousands. The odds of getting a permit for the fairly innocuous wombat is going to be zilch.
That is a young one. Adults are about the size of a medium pot bellied pig but huskier. They are very solidly built (like a pig) and aren't particularly soft but have kind of stiff hair. They look like giant, stout guinea pigs when full grown.
They're destructive? Okay, so I'll cancel my internet order, then.
You know what are really cute? Meerkats. I saw a whole slew of them at the San Diego Safari Zoo and they are tiny! I thought they were as big as if not bigger than house cats but they are tiny and so cute! And would probably eat my face off in my sleep if I got one...
It's illegal in Australia to own a native animal as a pet. It pains me to see our animals which have been smuggled out of the country, bred and sold as exotic house pets. He won't be laughing when it rakes his face off.
I always wanted to adopt Fatso from A Country Practice. I never see wombats where I live. Roos, koalas, even an echidna waddling down the road (I escorted him to safety), but never gorgeous snuggly wombats ):
Of course, wombats have huge freaking claws and generally do not sit still for snuggles unless they were hand-reared...
If wombats are the new it thing, maybe the tourists have finally caught on to the whole koalas with chlamydia thing?
I'll just add - not ALL states require licenses to own certain native animals.
I own a Short Billed Corella (also known as a Bare Eyes Cockatoo overseas) and I did not need a permit for him in my state. That's probably one of the reasons the poor thing went through so many homes before I took him in - if he'd required a license people might have been less eager to take him and less eager to give him away when he got difficult.
Corellas flock in their thousands and are a HUGE pest and very noisy in the wild. They are also a HUGE pest and very noisy in the home (; I do love my fatty, though. He has a forever home with me.
Awww, probably not a good idea to treat a wombat like a domesticated animal, but that was so cute!
ReplyDeleteOhhhh...so cute. I didn't know they could be pets.
ReplyDeleteOMG!! I fucking love wombats like Kristen Bell loves sloths.
ReplyDeleteSqueeeee!
This cannot end well.
ReplyDeleteI'll go for the cute factor, however it's first and foremost a wild (as in undomesticated) animal.
Just because you raised it doesn't automatically make it tame.
See Siegfried and Roy.
OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG
ReplyDelete*repeat a bazillion and one times*
I WANNA WOMBAT!
I want one!I know they are wild animals, but they are so so cute and sweet (seeming). Awww factor is off the charts!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm with Lola, I'm now at a Kristen Bell+Sloth level obsession with Wombats!!!
ReplyDelete@Anna...
ReplyDeleteWhen I went to Australia, we went to a zoo and I literally would not leave the wombat petting area. I was there or about 2 hours and then went back before we left. I was in tears when I left. (Seriously, I'm not kidding that I'm like Kristen Bell is with sloths.)
That was so cute :D
ReplyDeleteOk, after a little more research, turns out they're huge, destructive, nocturnal, illegal and can be a bit nasty when they're older. They're still cute to look at. Oh well. here's a bit of info I found. :
ReplyDelete08-20-2001, 06:47 PM
1) Wombats aren't common pets in Australia. Nor are kangaroos or virtually any othe native mammal. Marsupials have all sorts of problems coping with life in the suburbs, including extreme sensititivity to most herbicides and pesticides. Even the pyrethroids that are common in aerosol insecticides, that are quite harmless to other mammals, will roll marsupials in low concentrations. Added to this permits are required to keep native animals and I don't think any state is going to give permission for a wombat. You certainly couldn't get a permit where I live.
2)Wombats are immensely strong for thir size and given to be fairly nomadic if conditions don't suit them perfectly. Being capable of digging through most wire netting the only way you could keep one as a pet would be to bury weldmesh about 4 feet in the ground, or else concrete the edge of your yard to about the same depth. This is a bit beyond what most people would be prepared to do to keep a pet. The lengths landholders have been forced to go through to control wombats has been extraordinary.
3)As Primaflora says these aren't exactly small animals. They eat large amounts of food and would completely destroy a suburban yard in about 2 nights.
4)Wombats, if they ever got into the wild, could pose a massive threat. They eat considerable amounts of food and breed reasonably fast for a large animal. In Australia they have caused massive problems smashing down fences, eating pasture and crops and, probably most importantly, killing stock. No I'm not joking. Cattle and horses in wombat country quite often fall through the burrows, which are up to 3 metres deep, and as a result break legs, effectively killing them. For this reason extermination campaigns against wombats were carried out in all parts of the country. There's a line in the classic Australian poem 'The Man From Snowy River' that runs "The wild hop scrub grew thickly, and the hidden ground was full, of wombat holes, and any slip was death." Wombats have also been known to kill children. Their defence against predators entering their burows is to turn around and run backwards under it. They then lift their body and crush the animal to death agaisnt the burrow roof. Since the burrows are more than large enough to admit a child, and children will explore caves the inevitable has happned more than once. Anyone debating whether wombats cause problems should probably read Scylla's classic thread on demon grounhogs from hell, and then multiply the problem 10 fold to account for a considerably bigger animal with no predators and no parasites. Not a nice scenario.
5)Wombats aren't an endangered species. The common wombat is listed as, not surprisingly, common. The Southern hairy nose is listed as common but restricted IIRC, while the Northern hairy nose is the most endangered mammal on the planet with about 30 breeding femlaes in an area of about 4 square km.
6)Wombats are definitely cute and cuddly. Even wild caught specimens are so dopey they'll happily let you handle them so long as you don't try to turn them over. They're incredibly stupid, a bit like a retarded puppy, but oh so cute.
7) It's next to impossible to get a private export permit even for major pest species like kangaroos, cockatoos and galahs that are shot and poisoned in their thousands. The odds of getting a permit for the fairly innocuous wombat is going to be zilch.
Thank you Anna, very informative.
ReplyDeleteSo is this a baby wombat? Off to google adult wombats.
Also - WOMBATS LIKE BELLY RUBS?!?!?!?!? aWWWW
If I want a lesson On wombats i will research it
ReplyDeleteThis appears to be a smaller wombat based on Google. Could be a juvinile wombat, adult ones appear to be about twice/three times this size.
ReplyDeleteAgain Anna - thanks for the wombat notes!
That is a young one. Adults are about the size of a medium pot bellied pig but huskier. They are very solidly built (like a pig) and aren't particularly soft but have kind of stiff hair. They look like giant, stout guinea pigs when full grown.
ReplyDeleteThat was based on my aforementioned 2-3 hour personal experience with wombats plus bugging the shit out of the zookeeper.
ReplyDeleteOnce this wombat reaches adolescence it'll be headbutting this bloke, trying to get him to leave it alone.
ReplyDeletewombats are not pets AT ALL in australia, they are wild animals who do not like each other let alone other people
i was once in a 4WD that ran over a wombat accidentally. The wombat trundled away. the car's 4WD was broken.
that's how hard their heads are
So the wombat ate my baby?
ReplyDeleteOMG I want one!
ReplyDeletedid you see the claws on that fellow, yes the time I saw wombats in Australia they were not in a very good mood but better than the tasmanian devils
ReplyDeleteI'd take a wallaby instead
Anna that was awesome!!! Thank you.
ReplyDelete@Anna...win for the most interesting FACTOID all-day.
ReplyDeleteThey're destructive? Okay, so I'll cancel my internet order, then.
ReplyDeleteYou know what are really cute? Meerkats. I saw a whole slew of them at the San Diego Safari Zoo and they are tiny! I thought they were as big as if not bigger than house cats but they are tiny and so cute! And would probably eat my face off in my sleep if I got one...
It's illegal in Australia to own a native animal as a pet. It pains me to see our animals which have been smuggled out of the country, bred and sold as exotic house pets. He won't be laughing when it rakes his face off.
ReplyDeleteI still would rather have a meerkat. Those things are precious. Ever since Meerkat Manor I am obsessed.
ReplyDeleteI always wanted to adopt Fatso from A Country Practice. I never see wombats where I live. Roos, koalas, even an echidna waddling down the road (I escorted him to safety), but never gorgeous snuggly wombats ):
ReplyDeleteOf course, wombats have huge freaking claws and generally do not sit still for snuggles unless they were hand-reared...
If wombats are the new it thing, maybe the tourists have finally caught on to the whole koalas with chlamydia thing?
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI'll just add - not ALL states require licenses to own certain native animals.
ReplyDeleteI own a Short Billed Corella (also known as a Bare Eyes Cockatoo overseas) and I did not need a permit for him in my state. That's probably one of the reasons the poor thing went through so many homes before I took him in - if he'd required a license people might have been less eager to take him and less eager to give him away when he got difficult.
Corellas flock in their thousands and are a HUGE pest and very noisy in the wild. They are also a HUGE pest and very noisy in the home (; I do love my fatty, though. He has a forever home with me.
I'll take them both, thanks!
ReplyDelete