It was a strange Sunday night and Monday morning for some Nuriootpa residents who witnessed a hairy-nose wombat with a baby in her pouch, walking around the town.
Vanessa Sullivan of Nuriootpa, along with her daughter Kelsey, are carers for Barossa Wildlife Rescue and located the wombat in The Parkway.
The wombat had dug a hole in a vacant lot, and managed to get under a resident’s shed.
Ms Sally Arnold of Wildwood Park Sanctuary in Cambrai joined Vanessa, Kelsey and other Nuriootpa residents to catch the furry friend.
“It was a team effort to catch her,” laughed Vanessa.
“It did take a couple of hours. She got a bit of a fright when we first found her.”
Whilst the residents aren’t sure where she came from, the wombat is quite friendly and affectionate, and they believe she may have been hand-raised and dumped.
Sally did an assessment of the animal and believes she has a bit of a limp, and perhaps has been hit by a vehicle.
“It’s not a common thing for a wombat to be wandering around Nuriootpa! Definitely not something you see everyday,” said Vanessa.
“There was quite a bit of interest!”
Whilst the wombat is now in capable care with Sally, Vanessa explained that there is also a young male, friendly kangaroo hopping around Angaston.
She believes it has been hand-raised and released, and is asking for residents to stay vigilant and call Barossa Wildlife Rescue on 0402646574 to capture the animal.
