Aussie Animals: Wombats

Wombats are another of Australia cute and cuddly looking animals that can prove quite dangerous in certain situations. They are in general quite timid. Like many animals of hot, arid places, they have a slow metabolism and do not move much. When they are threatened however, the wombat can burst to speeds of 25mph and have the ability to turn on a dime. If you want to hear amusing stories, hunt down an Aussie who has tried to catch a wombat. Prepare to laugh.

Wombats are marsupials who live in extensive underground burrows, much like our prairie dog. Unlike our cute ground dwellers, wombats are quite large, often growing bigger than a bulldog. In Australia, wombats are mostly infamous for totally motor vehicles. Though not large, they are very dense; their body is coated in a thick layer of cartilage. Hitting a wombat is like hitting a big boulder in the middle of road, so be sure to swerve or stop if you see one.

I saw my first wombat in Tasmania while hiking around Cradle Mountain National park. A large group of Japanese tourist were taking part in the odd cultural custom of photographing random things with small stuffed animals. Everyone has their different token; they seem more keen to have their object photographed in front of world landmarks than themselves. Well anyway, one started walking towards the wombat, who was just sitting around munching on grass. I grabbed her arm and pantomimed while speaking, "Don't walk towards it! It's a wombat! It'll charge at you and knock you down!"

She seemed unphased. A Tasmanian tour guide that was with them looked at me and said, "Ah, just let her be. Here in Tasmania, they really don't have any real predators, so they're not really bothered by people. They just sit there and munch on grass."

The woman was standing right next to it, place her small stuffed frog next to the wombat. Just like the guide said, the wombat just kept eating away, ignoring the girl. This gave me the bravery to get up close myself and snap the photo posted above. It was neat to get so close.