Poppy celebrating World Wombat Day at the National Zoo and Aquarium. Photo: Laura Liu.
If you spot a wombat at the National Zoo and Aquarium chasing a ball with the focus of a tiny netball player, sporting a snout like a little pig’s and eyes sparkling with mischief, that’s Poppy.
Poppy is the only wombat at the Zoo, a Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat more at home in South Australia’s dry plains than in Canberra’s bushland.
She’s one of three wombat species found in Australia – alongside the Common (or Bare-nosed) Wombat and the critically endangered Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat.
While Common Wombats are the ones most likely to be spotted around Canberra’s reserves and rural fringes, Poppy has found a comfortable home at the Zoo since her rescue in 2021, charming visitors with her bold personality and unexpected passion for chasing a netball.
“She’s really funny,” says keeper Courtney Hawkins, smiling as Poppy noses through her morning enrichment.
“They’re incredibly charismatic … [they’re] little bulldozers, and they can be quite sassy when they want to be.
“She also loves chasing a ball. A netball is probably one of her favourite things to play with.”
While Poppy enjoys a safe life at the Zoo, her wild counterparts face a tougher reality. Across Australia, wombats are under pressure from habitat loss, disease and vehicle collisions.
In the ACT, the most serious threat is mange, a parasitic skin condition that can cause severe suffering and death if untreated.
“Wombats are definitely struggling out in the wild,” Courtney explains.
“Especially here in Canberra, we have a parasite called mange which is heavily affecting wombat populations.
“So we’re going to raise money here for Wombat Day.”
Although Wombat Day officially falls on Wednesday, 22 October, the Zoo held its celebration last Sunday, with keeper talks, enrichment sessions, and fundraising for ACT Wildlife and Wombat Rescue – two local organisations dedicated to rescuing, treating and rehabilitating wombats affected by disease and injury.
But as Courtney points out, helping wombats isn’t limited to one day a year.
“The best thing to do is just be really mindful on our roads, especially around dusk and dawn, that’s when these guys are most active,” she says.
“If you do happen to see a wombat or hit a wombat, you can call the ACT Government and they will actually send out someone to have a look.
“But we also will encourage people to, if they see a live wombat, you can go on the website as well and actually register them. That allows us to kind of gauge their population, where wombats are as well.”
While visitors sometimes wonder if Poppy might like a companion, Courtney says they are actually a pretty solitary species except when they have a joey with them.
“So no, I think Poppy’s pretty happy living her solo life right now.”
The National Zoo and Aquarium is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm (except Christmas Day).
