Wombat has a ball of a time at Kyabram Fauna Park
Kyabram Fauna Park has unearthed a new challenge for Sniff the Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat by providing his daily diet in the form of a giant hay ball.
Mammal Keeper Jessica Lyne said offering food in this way is mentally stimulating, and supports physical activity for a healthy wombat lifestyle.
“Sniff will push the ball around his habitat, finding the easiest food to grab first then spend more time looking for the rest of the food,” Ms Lyne said.
“He uses his head to push the hay ball around, however sometimes he will use his bum which is interesting to see. After that he takes a midday nap and then goes back to the ball for afternoon zoomies.”
The hay ball is filled with Sniff’s favourite foods including corn, sweet potato and tough native grasses to grind down his teeth and keep them in the best condition. Wombat teeth are open rooted which means they grow continuously throughout their lifetime.
The Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat (Lasiorhinus latifrons) is classified as Near Threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (ICUN) Red List. The Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat is classified as Critically Endangered according to the ICUN. Threats to the species include habitat destruction, road-trauma from cars and a disease called mange.
Wombats are mostly nocturnal herbivores. They play a key role in the ecosystem as they are excellent diggers. When wombats burrow in the soil they move around nutrients and spread seeds generating new growth.
Kyabram Fauna Park visitors can see the Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat in the middle of the park near the finch aviary.
The best time of day to see the wombat is first thing in the morning or in the late afternoon. The wombat is often seen sleeping on his back in his den.