Animal Diaries Archive

Wombat walks

28 July 2006

As rovers, we are lucky enough to include wombat walks in our daily routine. Each of our wombats go for a walk every day and boy do they love it! When we enter the enclosure they respond by walking up to us and following us around in hope that it's their time for a walk (even if they have already been on their walk). The idea is that they get to go wherever they want within Zoo, except the gardens! This creates a wonderful chance for our guests to come along on the walk, have a pat and even get some great photos. It also provides excellent ever-changing enrichment for the wombats. Let me tell you about our wombats, as they all have very different personalities.

Chisel is the only male in this enclosure; he is 21 years old, which is a major achievement in itself, as a wild wombat's lifespan is around eight years on average. He is walked by staff in the Mammals Department and can be very adventurous. His youngest daughter Kato is very active; she is currently two years old. Being just a kid herself, her favorite place to go on her walk is the grassy area where the jumping castle and rides are. Kato's mum, Dozer, is 11 years old and has currently got a seven-month-old joey in her pouch. This makes for a very exciting walk, for when Dozer relaxes (which she tends to do during her walks), the pouch often opens. So while mum is grazing away, her joey sometimes pokes his nose, eyes and paws out for all who are waiting patiently behind mum to see. There are smiles all round when this happens... it's a very special experience to be shared by all!

Chisel has another daughter called Burrow, who's three years old. Burrow also loves the jumping castle area, and even though she has a very mellow, gentle personality she loves being amongst the crowds and is more than happy to let you pat her and get photos. She also loves a cuddle, and often in the afternoon tries to snuggle inbetween the keepers' feet to have a bit of a sleep. Burrow's mum's name is Minibus. Mini is also 11 years old, and has a very funny personality. Mini and Chisel have quite a history together in the love department, but a couple of years ago Chisel took a liking to Dozer - a blonder, more fit-looking wombat. Not that Dozer appears too fussed with Chisel's attention. Poor Mini is still often attempting to woo her man back. She is such a pretty girl, but we all know how stubborn wombats can be!

So our wombats continue to live happily in their large enclosure (the largest wombat enclosure in the southern hemisphere), looking forward to their daily adventures and meeting new people every day.I feel so lucky to work with our wombats! They really are all funny, loving characters who bring constant smiles to so many people. Make sure you check them out when you come and visit the Zoo.