New Hope for Rare Animal

Topic: Endangered Animals

Thursday, June 18, 2026, 5:43 am

A northern hairy-nosed wombat has a young joey in her pouch.

In short:

A rare animal may live in more areas than thought.

A study found that the northern hairy-nosed wombat can adapt to different soil.

What's next?

Researchers hope to find new locations for the animal.

The northern hairy-nosed wombat may survive in more habitats.

There are about 450 northern hairy-nosed wombats left.

It is the largest burrowing marsupial in Australia.

In the 1980s, there were only 35 wombats left. Now, there are over 400.

A study found that the wombat can construct burrows in different soil types.

In the 1980s, there were only 35 wombats at Epping Forest National Park.

A second population was established at the Richard Underwood Nature Refuge.

The Northern Hairy Nosed Wombat is one of the world's most endangered animals.

A third site was established at Dhuny Yumba National Park.

Andy Howe worked on the study with Australian Wildlife Conservancy.

The research used ground-penetrating radar to map wombat burrows.

Andy Howe was the lead researcher on the study.

Much of what we know about wombat burrows comes from Epping Forest National Park.

The study found that wombats can construct burrows in different soil types.

The findings will help conservationists identify new locations for the animal.

The study took place in August 2023 at the Richard Underwood Nature Refuge.

The burrows at the refuge were shallower than those at Epping Forest National Park.

Wombats are picky about the soil they dig in.

The findings suggest that the species can occupy a broader range of habitats.

Northern hairy-nosed wombats are really picky about soil.

The research showed that burrow structures differ in different soil types.

The northern hairy-nosed wombat comes out of its burrow at night.

The burrows at Richard Underwood were slightly shallower than those at Epping Forest.

The findings will help conservationists identify new translocation sites.

There is a species recovery plan for the northern hairy-nosed wombat.

Leanne Brosnan is an ambassador for The Wombat Foundation.

The research provides a more detailed understanding of how wombats use landscapes.

The findings make Leanne Brosnan optimistic about the species' future.

Wombats are breeding.

Several joeys were sighted at Dhuny Yumba last year.

Hidden cameras captured images of northern hairy-nosed wombats.

Every new joey adds to the overall population, giving hope for the species' future.

All three northern hairy-nosed wombat sites are protected areas.

Thursday, June 18, 2026, 5:43 am

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