Wombats

Fence scratching


"I come to bury Cæsar, not to praise him." (Julius Cæsar 3.2.79) This wombat is repeatedly scratching against the metal fence of his enclosure. Note the exposed metal and evidence of repainting. This is an example of stereotypical behaviour, caused by the unnatural stresses of living in a confined space. Sure, he'll live much longer than he would in the wild, but the medical profession also talks about "quality of life", yes? However, I am ambivalent about keeping wild animals in zoos: If they help give people an appreciation of the animal and of the importance of preserving its natural habitat (a theme which Lone Pine does have running through its displays), then the animal's presence will have done some good.

Eating


At Rest



Big stretch!


Two wombats at rest in an ingenious underground enclosure which lets them more or less express their natural subterranean inclinations but still affords humans an intimate look at this normally reclusive species. This photo was taken at Taronga Zoo in Sydney.


A sweet photo of two wombats snoozing, this time at Lone Pine. They're not often out in the open like this.


I was fortunate enough to catch this female southern hairy nosed wombat luxuriating in a long stretch.


This gave me an opportunity to get a photograph of her pouch and cloaca. (The stumpy thing at the bottom of the photo is her tail.)


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