Wombat, Wombat, Wombat.
Ving the wombat takes a nap! Picture from here.
Today I discovered that it is possible to sponsor a wombat - one just like Ving (pictured above)!
Wombats are intelligent marsupials native to Australia. They are hunted for food and sport, and are killed by farmers who consider them a pest. A female wombat may only produce young once every two to three years, so it probably comes as no surprise that they are also endangered. However, they receive poor protection from government.
Everyone knows of kangroos, koalas and emus, but I think often the wombat is Australia's forgotten marsupial, perhaps because it is so rarely seen. We have wombats in South Australia. Where I grew up on the Eyre Peninsula the Southern Hairy Nose Wombat is native. I have seen wombats in captivity, and come across burrows, but I have never come across a wombat in the wild. Pehaps this is not simply because they are nocturnal and shy - Perhaps it really is because there are so few of them left?
If you'd like to learn more about the plight of wombats, please visit the Wombat Awareness website, and to sponsor one simply go here.