Escapee wombats found after two days on the run in Adelaide Hills

COCONUT and Phinger don’t know what all the fuss is about – they were just having a little adventure. But for the volunteers of the Wombat Awareness Organisation the return of the escapee wombats has ended a frantic two-day search.

• Two wandering wombats try to hitch ride to their Wombat Awareness Organisation home

COCONUT and Phinger don’t know what all the fuss is about – they were just having a little adventure.

But for the volunteers of the Wombat Awareness Organisation sanctuary at Flaxley, in the Adelaide Hills, the return of the escapee wombats has ended a frantic two-day search for the missing marsupials.

Adult common wombat Coconut and southern hairy nose wombat Phinger (pronounced “Finger”) escaped from the sanctuary in the early hours of Sunday morning after their refuge was broken into and the gate left open.

Able to travel 4-5km a night, sanctuary volunteers had no clue where the wandering wombats would have gone and took to social media to seek help to find the escapees.

Coconut was rescued on Monday. His adventure took him to Hahndorf – 15 kms away from his home.

Coconut rocked up at a house in Hahndorf. Picture: Courtney White

Ms White said the cheeky wombat wandered right up to the door of a house in the town.

“He came and knocked on (the) front door and she took a photo and sent it through and unfortunately by the time we got there he’d moved on,” she said.

“So we ... spent a couple of hours looking for him and (there was) no sign of him at all.

“And then ... he crossed in front of the wombat rescue car in the main street – We couldn't believe it that he had picked the exact right car to walk in front of.”

Ms White said Coconut recognised the volunteers and was happy to be reunited and head home after his trek.

“We took him home and he had a big bowl of porridge,” she said.

Fears were still held for Phinger though, who was taken into the shelter as a baby.

“She has never experienced being out in the wild looking out for herself so (we were) very concerned for her wellbeing,” Ms White said.

“She’s a very sweet girl and she can be quite energetic when she wants to be but she ... loves her cuddles in the afternoon.”

Phinger the wombat was missing for two days before she was found at Macclesfield.

However, the sanctuary got the news it had been hoping for about 4pm on Tuesday – Phinger had been spotted at a rural property at Macclesfield.

“A lady was posting on the Lost Pets of South Australia (Facebook) page that there was a wombat wandering around on a property that she was visiting,” she said.

“(Phinger) was very friendly, wandered straight up to them, was quite happy to be in somebody’s safe arms.

“She’ll be going straight home to have a nice dinner and then probably straight to bed.”

Phinger, centre, back at the sanctuary with Olive and Bubba. Picture: Courtney White

It’s not the first time some rascally wombats have escaped the sanctuary.

Five escaped after heavy rain brought down a tree on a fence in October 2016.