Wombats can be pushy - they are able to reach speeds of up to 40km/hr and can use their hard plated rump to crush the skull of intruders against the burrow roof.
Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat
Lasiorhinus krefftii
Western Plains Zoo participates in the Australian Recovery Team for the critically endangered Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat. A population, estimated to contain 112 individuals, is restricted to 300ha of Epping Forest National Park near Clermont in central Queensland. Without effective reproductive management this population faces a rapid decline in genetic variability and probable extinction. Research aimed at gaining a better understanding of basic reproductive biology in Common Wombats and Southern Hairy-nosed Wombats may be able to be applied to the Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat if captive management is required.
