The Wombat Awareness Organisation welcomes much-needed funding boost
With more than 80 animals in its care, Australia’s largest wombat sanctuary will use a council grant to help expand its free-range experience for visitors.
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Australia’s largest wombat sanctuary will use a much-needed funding boost to help expand its hands-on experience for visitors.
The Wombat Awareness Organisation, based in Flaxley, is set to receive a $5000 grant from Mount Barker Council, which it will put towards an eco-hub animal encounter.
The $13,000 project will allow visitors to better observe and interact with wombats in a purpose-built environment, and will allow staff to run education forums.
The organisation, based in Flaxley, is Australia’s only free-range wombat sanctuary and is currently home to 87 animals.
Clare Jans, who operates the sanctuary with its founder Brigitte Stevens, said they were looking at new ways to expand the charity and raise much-needed funds and awareness for the Southern Hairy-nosed wombat.
It is estimated that wombats, based on current fatalities, will be extinct by 2070.
“We’re not business people but we’ve been trying to work out how to make the sanctuary viable without compromising the wombat’s welfare … and that’s how we came up with the eco-hut idea,” Ms Jans said.
“We get people from all over the world contacting us asking what they can do to come and see us so we thought that maybe we could create something that would allow people to come and stay and have a bit more of a hands-on experience at the sanctuary.
“The idea is that it would help raise awareness for the sanctuary and the important work we do.”
Ms Jans said visitors would be able to visit the sanctuary by appointment.
“We don’t want to open the sanctuary to the general public because wombats don’t do well in a zoo-like environment,” she said.
“So the way we moulded the sanctuary, the wombats can come and go as they please. So they can either live out in the environment or they can come inside and jump onto the couch or their bed.”
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Ms Jans said those interested in supporting the organisation on a more permanent basis could join its adoption program.
Monthly donation packages are $25 or $50 per month – the latter of which offers unlimited access to the sanctuary.
“Adoptees have really become our second family because we’re really mindful that the sanctuary is run by just the two of us full time,” she said.
“So if something happens to us, we need to make sure that everything is safe and sustainable for the wombats, otherwise it would be pretty catastrophic.
“So we really rely on these funds and volunteers to help us continue our vital work.”