Wombats (Vombatus and Lasiorhinus spp.) Fact Sheet: Population & Conservation Status

• Endemic to Australia (Jackson 2003)
• Common wombat, Vombatus ursinus
  • Widespread in southeastern Australia
    • No recent population estimates available
  • Previously considered vermin, now protected in many areas (Triggs 1996)
    • In Victoria - bounty system established in 1925 to protect landowners from fence damage
      • Wombats trapped, poisoned, shot in forests as well as farmlands
      • Resulted in many thousands of wombat deaths (64,000 from 1950-1966) until suspended in 1966
  • Roads are significant hazard (Roger et al. 2011)
• Northern hairy-nosed wombat, Lasiorhinus krefftii
  • One of the world's rarest mammals (Banks, Hoyle et al. 2003)
    • Only occur at two sites: Epping Forest National Park and Richard Underwood Nature Refuge (small population)
  • In 1981, only 1 remnant colony
    • Located in Epping Forest National Park
    • 1981 population estimate - as few as 35 individuals (Hoyle et al. 1995)
    • Cattle excluded from park in attempt to save species
  • Population increasing (Horsup 1998; DEHP 2012 -- see graph)
    • By mid-1990s - stabilized at about 65 individuals
      • Drought a recurrent problem
    • 2000-2001 - major setback when 15-20 lost to dingo predation (Horsup & Johnson 2008)
      • 2002 - entire habitat of wombat colony enclosed in 20-km (12.4-mi) fence to prevent reoccurrence (Horsup 2004)
    • 2005 - about 115 individuals (Horsup & Johnson 2008)
    • 2007 - about 138 individuals (DEHP 2012)
      • New, non-invasive census technique - collect hair from adhesive tape suspended in front of burrow entrances, analyze DNA (Banks, Hoyle et al. 2003)
    • 2010 - about 163 individuals (Wells 2015)
    • 2016 - about 250 individuals in the wild (Queensland Government 2018)
  • 2nd colony established in 2009 (Williams 2012; Glencore (Xstrata) Reintroduction Project)
    • Richard Underwood Nature Refuge near Saint George, south-central Queensland (in historical range)
    • 15 individuals relocated from primary colony
    • As of November 2012 - 10 adults, 3 new offspring (all prospering)
  • Threats
    • Loss of habitat and native food species
      • Native grasses replaced by invading African Buffel Grass (Horsup & Johnson 2008)
    • Competition from introduced grazers
      • Population increased after cattle excluded from Epping Forest National Park in 1981
    • Drought
      • Population increased after major drought ended in 1996 (Horsup & Johnson 2008)
    • Predation
      • Major setback in 2000-2001 due to dingo predation (Horsup 2004)
        • In one case in 2000, carcasses of 7 individuals found surrounded by canid tracks and scat (Banks, Horsup et al. 2003)
          • Genotyping of DNA extracted from wombat carcasses and dingo feces confirmed dingoes consumed the wombats
        • Dingo-proof fence erected to protect colony
    • Male bias in sex ratio
      • 2.3:1 male:female (Horsup 1998)
    • No animals currently in managed care due to low numbers in wild, difficulties in husbandry (Banks, Hoyle et al. 2003)
• Southern hairy-nosed wombat, Lasiorhinus latifrons
  • Wide but patchy distribution across southern Australia - not endangered
    • Large population, occurs in a number of protected areas
    • Estimates from various parts of range total approximately 100,000-300,000 mature individuals (Woinarski & Burbidge 2016)
  • Threats
    • Sporadic outbreaks of sarcoptic mange
    • Competition with introduced herbivores
    • Susceptibility to drought
    • Severe fragmentation in parts of range

• Common wombat, V. urisinus
  • IUCN status: Least Concern (2015 assessment) (Taggart, Martin & Menkhorst 2016)
    • Previous assessments
      • 2008: Least Concern
      • 1996, 1965: Lower Risk/least concern
  • CITES status: Not listed (UNEP 2020a)
  • Australian Commonwealth - Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999
    • Subspecies Vombatus ursinus ursinus (Bass Strait): Vulnerable (16 Jul 2000, EPBC Act List of Threatened Fauna)
  • South Australia Government - Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources
    • Rare species (21 Feb 2008, National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972)
• Northern hairy-nosed wombat, L. krefftii
  • IUCN status: Critically Endangered (2015 assessment) (Taggart, Martin & Horsup 2016)
    • Previous assessments
      • 1996, 2008: Critically Endangered
      • 1982-1994: Endangered
  • CITES status: Appendix I (2020b) - protected against over-exploitation through international trade
  • Australian Commonwealth - EPBC Act 1999
    • In February 2018, status upgraded from Endangered to Critically Endangered (Queensland Government 2018)
  • Department of Environment and Heritage Protection (DEHP), Queensland Government
    • Endangered (14 Nov 2012, Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992, Endangered Animals)
  • Office of Environment & Heritage (OEH), New South Wales Government
    • Presumed extinct (21 Nov 2012, Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995)
• Southern hairy-nosed wombat, L. latifrons
  • IUCN status: Near Threatened (2014 assessment) (Woinarski & Burbidge 2016)
    • Previous assessments
      • 2008: Least Concern
      • 1965, 1996: Lower Risk/least concern
  • CITES status: Not listed (UNEP 2020a)
  • Australian Commonwealth - EPBC Act 1999
    • Not listed (26 Nov 2009, EPBC Act List of Threatened Fauna)
  • New South Wales Government (Office of Environment & Heritage)
    • Endangered (21 Nov 2012, Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995)

• Common wombat
  • IUCN (Taggart, Martin & Menkhorst 2008)
    • Present in some protected areas
    • Protected in most states, except classified as vermin in eastern Victoria (mainly due to fencing damage)
• Northern hairy-nosed wombat
  • Recovery Plan (Horsup 2004; summarized by Taggart, Martin & Horsup 2008):
    • Control threats, manage habitat
      • Predator control - built 20-km (12-mi) fence in 2002 (prevent dingo predation)
      • Monitor/control competitors - monitor eastern grey kangaroo (major food competitor)
      • Habitat management - remove buffel grass (promote green growth, native species)
      • Fire management - annual burns (reduce fuel loads, promote plant diversity)
      • Supplementary feed/water provisioning - stations are in use by wombats, particularly when dry (Treby et al. 2007)
      • Permanent management presence, Epping Forest National Park - volunteer caretakers (monitor dingo fence)
    • Accurate monitoring, 3 times per year - collect hair on sticky tape and extract DNA to identify individuals (Banks, Hoyle et al. 2003)
      • Burrow monitoring - monitor activity levels at burrows every 6 mo (early warning system)
      • Trapping - only when necessary (e.g., to attach radio-collars)
    • Translocation - locate sites for future colony establishment, develop translocation techniques
    • Develop captive techniques on southern hairy-nosed wombats
      • Improve captive breeding and reproductive monitoring techniques
    • Biology and ecology studies - diet, reproduction, habitat utilization, behavior, burrow architecture
    • Manage recovery team - full-time manager
• Southern hairy-nosed wombat
  • IUCN (Taggart & Robinson 2008)
    • No formal recovery program
    • Need to reduce inbreeding among York Peninsula populations, likely through translocation/introduction of individuals
  • New South Wales (NSW) Office of Environment and Heritage - Priority Action Statement:
    • Incentive program to encourage location/disclosure by landholders/general public
    • If local populations rediscovered, assess status, identify threats, determine recovery strategy
    • Genetic testing to determine similarity of New South Wales and South Australia populations
    • Community education strategy for habitat rehabilitation/protection
    • Encourage community awareness/involvement
    • Protect local warren sites from livestock grazing
    • Encourage and train landholders to conduct annual monitoring
    • Determine significance to Aboriginal cultures, encourage involvement in recovery
    • Control feral goats and rabbits near rediscovered warrens
  • Zoos South Australia
    • Helping North American zoos establish insurance populations, breeding programs (Fields 2012)
  • Programs, technologies (Hogan 2010)
    • Development of captive breeding programs and assisted reproductive technologies underway
    • Expected to play important role in preservation of L. latifrons, provide invaluable information for endangered L. krefftii

Common wombats are regarded as abundant, whereas southern and especially northern hairy-nosed wombats are at risk of extinction.

Image credit: © San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. All rights reserved.

Banks, Horsup et al. (2003)
Banks, Hoyle et al. (2003)
Fields (2012)
Jackson (2003)
Hogan (2010)
Horsup (1998)
Horsup (2004)
Horsup & Johnson (2008)
Hoyle et al. (1995)
Roger et al. (2011)
Taggart & Robinson (2008)
Taggart, Martin & Menkhorst (2008)
Taggart, Martin & Horsup (2008)
Treby et al. (2007)