World-first high-resolution footage of the Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat

Happy World Wombat Day! The day is intended as a light-hearted celebration of all things wombat, honouring these beloved ‘barrels of the bush’. Excitingly, Australian Wildlife Conservancy’s (AWC) talented videographer Brad Leue has captured world-first high-resolution footage of the Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat, and we are so proud to share it with you today. This incredible footage was captured at Richard Underwood Nature Refuge – near St George in the south-west of Queensland – where AWC took on the role of caretaker for the month of October.

AWC is a new partner in the DES-led Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat Recovery Program, supported by The Wombat Foundation. It is a privilege to contribute to this collaborative effort to help protect the Critically Endangered Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat – the largest and rarest species in the wombat family.

The total world population for the Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat is just over 300 individuals. The wombat’s last natural stronghold is at Epping Forest National Park in central Queensland, while a second population was established by DES in 2009 at the 130-hectare Richard Underwood Nature Refuge.

Keep a look out for more wombat stories over the coming weeks.

Also in the north east of the country, AWC is delighted to announce that we took home the Innovation and Research Award at the Wet Tropics Management Authority’s 19th Cassowary Awards. AWC Regional Ecologist Dr Alexander Watson gave a speech acknowledging the Traditional Owner groups we work with, our partners, the recovery team, and each member of the NE team. Seeing the AWC team’s incredible efforts acknowledged like this motivates us to do more to deliver effective conservation at scale.