Wombats

Learn how Vets for Compassion rescues sick and injured wombats — and what you should do if you find one in need.

Found a Sick or Injured Wombat?

Stay calm, keep a safe distance and follow these steps:

1. Keep your distance

Check for danger. Keep other animals and people away and stay a safe distance yourself if necessary.

2. Contain the animal (if possible)

Joeys can be carefully wrapped in a towel, placed in a covered box with air holes, and kept in a calm, quiet place.

Larger animals can be photographed, and their location recorded.

3. Call for Help

If you’re in Victoria, called Vets for Compassion on
0407 084 594. If the animal is in immediate danger of being hit by a car, call 000 as well.

4. Keep calm and Quiet

Avoid stressing the animal any more than necessary. If you have placed the animal in a covered box, resist the urge to check on it or subject it to unfamiliar noises or smells. Do not offer food or water.

5. Stay Until Help Arrives

Stay with the animal until help arrives. If the animal is mobile, track it from afar so you can tell rescuers where to find it.

Victoria is home to the common wombat, also known as the bare-nosed wombat. The Vets for Compassion team is frequently called out to assist wombats injured by cars and other human activities, as well as to treat severe cases of wombat mange, which is rampant across the state.

We are also frequently called out to rescue orphaned wombats. These wombats are often found in their mother’s pouch, and would otherwise be left to die.

Wombats are under threat on multiple fronts: Sadly, wombats are under threat on multiple fronts:

  • Habitat destruction from urban and rural development
  • Deadlier bushfire seasons driven by climate change
  • Wombat mange, which is highly fatal if left untreated

How You Can Help Protect Victoria’s Wombats

  • Slow down when driving in wildlife areas, especially at dawn and dusk
  • Report injured wombats as soon as possible, so they can receive urgent veterinary care
  • Report deceased pouched animals — there may be a surviving joey in the pouch that can be saved
  • Give rescuers space — if you see flashing lights or wildlife rescuers on the road, slow down and pass carefully
  • Keep dogs on lead in wildlife areas to protect native animals from attack

Wombats helped in 2025

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