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A message from Russell...
This next section deals with a wombat that came into my foster folks care after she was kept as a pet. It details some of the difficulties that faced both the wombat and my foster folks. Often, wildlife carers will receive a wombat that has been kept as a pet. Sometimes this is due to confiscation, more than likely it's due to people not being able to cope with the destructive nature of wombats and the carers have to pick up the pieces - it's not fair to the carers, nor to the wombat.
We received a wombat in March 2003 that had been kept as a pet by a young family - we named her Daphne. Daphne was around 5kg (about 10 months old) and had been fed a diet consisting mainly of bread and arrowroot biscuits.
When we received Daphne, we noticed that she could not put weight on her front left paw, nor could she run. We asked what had happened, and we were told that she had fallen off the lap of one of the children. We were dubious at the time as to how the injury was sustained, but took the family's word for it. We thanked them for handing Daphne in as within the Australian state of New South Wales, it is illegal to keep a wombat as a pet. The authorities would have confiscated Daphne at some point down the track and fined the family.
We rushed Daphne to the vet and our worst fears were confirmed. An X-ray revealed that Daphne's left elbow was broken - the injuries consistent with a blow or kick being dealt in the area. We were left with two clear decisions at that point in time. Daphne could be put to sleep, or we could try and call on the expertise of a vet surgeon to try and put Daphne's elbow back together again. We chose the latter decision, hoping against hope that we would eventually be able to release Daphne back into the bush once she had recovered and matured. If not, then we would be faced with the horrible realisation that Daphne could not be returned to the wild, and the only course of action would be to put her to sleep under our wildlife regulations. Placing an unfit animal back into the bush would mean that it is likely to die as it is not equipped to survive.
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Daphne after her operation (note stitches) |
The vet surgeon (Sarah) could not perform surgery on Daphne until a few days later owing to prior commitments. We had to keep Daphne on painkillers and restrict her movement as much as possible during this time. Daphne, in pain and with people that she did not know, was very upset and aggressive. She was away from the people who had been her 'family' and now with strangers. Trying to feed her on a correct diet for a wombat her size was difficult and her cries of distress upset the other wombats that we had in care. Trying to restrict her movement was almost impossible as she did not want anything to do with us and tried to run on her injured limb.
On the day of Daphne's surgery, Sarah liaised with the surgeons at one of Australia's prominent zoos, Sydney's Taronga Zoo, regarding the procedure for operating on wombats. In consultation with them, Sarah and her staff were able to reconstruct Daphne's elbow into what was hoped would be satisfactory. Sarah had never operated on a wombat before Daphne.
An important note for other vet surgeons
During Daphne's operation, there were a number of times when Daphne experienced respitory difficulties whilst under the recommended anesthetic for wombats. Oxygen had to be administered periodically until her breathing stabilised. Whilst this might be specific to Daphne, it is probably worth bearing in mind for other wombats. Possible causes for this could be due to the lung capacity of wombats. |
After surgery, Sarah explained to us that she was surprised at the muscle density that Daphne had in her front leg. The muscle was comparable to a 40kg (88lb) rottweiler, although Daphne's weight was around the 5kg mark. In a way it made sense, as these animals are built for digging and should have strong muscles for clawing through dirt.
Daphne was released from surgery, and the next five weeks became a nightmare for all of us. Obviously, Daphne had been taken from an environment and family that she knew. She was now in some pain after her operation and in a new and unfamiliar environment. Daphne used to scream and scream and hobble away from us on her injured leg. She struggled in our arms when we tried to feed her and used to bite hard if she came into contact with skin. This became very distressing and we seriously considered whether we had done the right thing. Daphne's mental state was not good, and we wondered whether she had been traumatised before she reached us.
We were at our wits end and wondered whether we could continue with Daphne. Daphne's elbow, although operated on, was still causing her some mobility problems. We were told that this would be a gradual healing process and that only time would tell. We still worried about Daphne. Her screaming continued, and we had to make special allowances for her around the other wombats (who also noticed Daphne's screams and became agitated - they thought that a wombat was in distress and would call back).
After five weeks, Daphne finally settled down and we were able to interact with her as we do with the other wombats in care. Slowly, Daphne started to trust us and we were able feed her without her screaming at us. We were able to introduce her to other wombats so she could play and do 'wombatty things', such as digging and eating grass in the front garden.
Daphne has her own photo album where more photos can be seen of her.
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 Daphne video clip 1 (approx. 2.6Mb)
This video was shot about 6 weeks after surgery. Notice how Daphne is trying to 'dig' in the cupboard and is using her left elbow to do so. There is still a noticeable limp with Daphne's left elbow when she walks ( mirror site) |
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Daphne video clip 2 (approx. 1Mb)
Daphne, showing that she can run on her left elbow. We were pleased when Daphne was able to run for the first time without any major problems. This was taken some months after surgery and gave us a good indication that Daphne could indeed be released back into the bush ( mirror site). |
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Daphne video clip 3 (approx.2.1Mb)
Daphne digging in the 'children's' training burrow enclosure. Chomp and Maggie became Daphne's playmates (although Maggie needs to move to make sure that she doesn't have dirt dug into her face). You can see how Daphne loves to dig and hear Maggie sneezing with the dirt in her face! ( mirror site) |
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Daphne being released |
On the 18th September, 2004, Daphne was released back into the bush. She was a big, healthy wombat and had fully recovered the use of her limb. After such a horrible start, we were pleased that Daphne could make it back into the bush where she belongs. Just prior to her release, Daphne 'turned' on us in a period of three days. She went from a wombat who loved nothing better than to doze on our laps whilst watching TV in the evenings, to a wombat who would lunge at us, bare her teeth and snarl at us.We had to be careful catching her for release, as if she had bitten, she could have done some damage. This reinforces the simple fact that wombats do not make good pets - they are too wild, even in a domestic setting.
Daphne video clip 4 (approx.6.5Mb)
Daphne's release. This clip shows Daphne being released back into the bush and into an unused burrow that she can call 'home' for a time until she's ready to strike out and make her own territory (mirror site).
Important Points
• Daphne came to us as a pet, had been treated as a pet and was not allowed to develop as a wombat. As such, her road to recovery was difficult and long. Some carers will flat out refuse to take on such a wombat that has been treated as a pet by members of the public, as it is a traumatic time for them and the wombat. Time is a big factor to consider here - something most good wildlife carers do not have a lot to spare.
• Daphne's injury could have been sustained out of frustration by humans. A 5kg wombat likes nothing better to chew and destroy your household items. They are not like a dog and cannot be taught what is right or wrong - they will do as they please (they are wild animals, remember). Not understanding this behaviour could have lead to frustration and Daphne being injured in the process.
• Daphne's diet when she came in was not appropriate for a wombat. An inappropriate diet can lead to health and nutritional related problems later in life. Wombats are not like a cat or dog and have different needs and diets. Dietary problems may not be apparent at first, but could compromise the health of a wombat and even kill it in later stages of life. (Example: wombats require a tiny amount of Vitamin D in their diets, unlike cats and dogs. Too much Vitamin D can lead to what is known as hypervitaminosis, resulting in kidney failure and the eventual death of the wombat).
• We count ourselves fortunate that we were in a good financial position to assist Daphne. Euthanasia was a very viable option given Daphne's injury and could have been the preferred option if Daphne was handed in to other carers. We were also lucky that we had a skilled vet surgeon willing to perform surgery on Daphne as well.
• Daphne's story has a happy ending. Along her road to recovery, any number of things could have gone wrong. The biggest problem would have been her elbow not mending well and leaving her unfit to be returned to the bush. Luck did play a significant part in Daphne's recovery and release. |
We would like to thank Sarah Webb and her staff at the Gungahlin Veterinary Clinic for their skilled work with Daphne. Daphne owes her release back into the bush to their efforts.
Would also like to thank Chieko Watanabe and her husband Haruka for their financial assistance with Daphne. Without their kind donation, the financial burden of our work with rehabilitating Daphne would have been that much harder. Chieko also has her own web site ( "Womland" ) that is devoted to wombats.
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