Wombat’s wish is Healesville Sanctuary keepers’ command

The Australian native has specific tastes when it comes to food, which sees keepers shipping in his favourite pellets from interstate.

Healesville Sanctuary Keeper Aysha Topcu said the team caters to animals’ individual needs, and that includes providing Milo with his favourite food.

“We identified early on that Milo was different to our female wombat, Gem, so we made sure to offer him a variety of individual food options,” Ms Topcu said.

“Milo can tell the difference between the two types of nutritional pellets we have on offer, and he prefers the pellets all the way from Queensland.

“He also puts his two upper incisors to good use when he munches on sweet potato.”

As an additional source of enrichment, keepers introduce long grass cuttings for Milo to nibble on, which contain interesting smells from around the Sanctuary.

Wombat teeth are open rooted which means they grow continuously throughout a wombat’s lifetime.

These large herbivores require hard food and tough native grasses to grind down their teeth and keep them in best condition.

Healesville Sanctuary is home to two Common Wombats – Milo and Gem. Visitors can see the wombats along the Woodlands Track at Healesville Sanctuary.

While Common Wombats are not considered endangered, they are at risk from roaming dogs, road vehicles and habitat loss. Different species of wombats can be found from the tip of Queensland down to Victoria and South Australia. They are also common throughout Tasmania, and on Flinders Island.

Zoos Victoria and Healesville Sanctuary visitors are reminded that all tickets must be pre-booked online at zoo.org.au. Zoos Victoria Members no longer need to book but are required to scan their Membership card to gain entry.