Northern hairy-nosed wombats are the largest of Australia's three wombat species, and also the most endangered ,withan estimated 200 are all that remain in Australia. This population was confined to a small site in Epping Forest National park .
In 2009 , about 15 wombats were transported to a new home Richard Underwood Nature Refuge in south Queensland. Smartly as preparation for new homes for these wombats, designer burrows were made.
“Our intention was to provide starter burrows that the wombats could expand, if they wanted to," says Alan Horsup, also from the DEHP. "At the very least, we had to provide a burrow to release them in because they cannot survive above ground for long, and digging their own burrow requires a lot of energy."
The team used a 450mm drill to dig holes for 28 burrows for the wombat population. The burrows were designed to stay dark and cool during the day, and offered separate chambers for sleeping and reproduction.
The angle of the entrance is very important, says Dave. A decline of around 30 degrees from the horizontal ground allows access for the wombat, while maintaining the stability of the tunnel.
Once the wombats had moved in to their new homes they themselves even started renovating , building new chambers and entrances for themselves. Hopefully this program helps repopulate the hairynose wombat and help sustain their species for the future.
This is an example of man using their power for the good of the animals!
Source:
Wildlife Victoria
http://www.wildlifevictoria.org.au/
http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/designer-burrows-man-made-for-rare-wombat.htm
