Northern hairy-nosed wombat located at southwest Qld refuge near St George

An ecologist was left stunned when he located a critically endangered young wombat in a southwest Queensland nature refuge. See the rare footage here.

A critically endangered, juvenile northern hairy-nosed wombat left an ecologist shocked when they appeared at a nature refuge in southwest Queensland.

It’s no wonder Australian Wildlife Conservancy ecologists are jumping for joy at the discovery, with only 400 of the species left in the world.

Senior ecologist Andy Howe made the discovery while sifting through hundreds of hours of motion sensor footage capturing the eastern side of the refuge near St George.

A young northern Hairy-nosed wombat recorded on a motion sensor camera at Richard Underwood Nature Refuge (RUNR). Credit: Brad Leue/Australian Wildlife Conservancy

There’s only three populations of the northern hairy-nosed wombat remaining in Australia, found in Epping Forest National Park, a newly-introduced population at Powrunna State Forest and Richard Underwood Nature Refuge.

A Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat emerges from a burrow at Richard Underwood Nature Refuge (RUNR). Credit: Brad Leue/Australian Wildlife Conservancy

“It’s very gratifying to know that one of the world’s most critically endangered animals is doing well and breeding within the safety of the fenced area,” Mr Howe said in a press release.

“Although this isn’t the first joey born at the refuge, it is the first juvenile spotted for a few years.”

Australian Wildlife Conservancy Senior Field Ecologist Andy Howe, setting up a motion sensor camera to study the Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat population at Richard Underwood Nature Refuge (RUNR). Credit: Brad Leue/Australian Wildlife Conservancy

Since reviewing the footage Mr Howe believes the young wombat is in good health and is thought to be part of a large pouch of young detected at the start of 2023.

“The wombat is quite robust indicating that it is feeding well and getting enough nutrition,” he said.

“Overall, this bit of footage tells us a lot about the state of the RUNR population, showing us that the wombats have the right conditions and feel comfortable enough to breed.”

The motion-sensor cameras help the AWC to improve their data and knowledge of the species by recording their activity, behaviour and signs of reproductions.