So now there’s two wombats to take to work! Up at 5:30 am to play and bottle feed and toilet both Elsie and Barney. Then there’s time for me to get ready to head off to work lugging both wombats with me. Elsie weighs four kilos and Barney weighs three, that’s a lot of wombat on my shoulders! Elsie and Barney need to come with me to work because they both need an 11:00 am feed.
I work in a local primary school as a teacher (I also run a small business but that’s another story! Let’s just agree that life is busy! ). While I am teaching my class, the wombats stay in a secure and locked crate in my office. During my first break I bottle feed them both. No time to eat my lunch so I usually have my lunch during second break even if I’m on duty – I just plan for something light and quick to eat!
Although it would be a great teaching opportunity to be able to show the wombats to the children, the children are not allowed to play with or interact with the wombats at all. The educational benefits can’t be at the expense of the wellbeing and safety of Elsie and Barney. My kindergarten children know that I save wildlife and love seeing my videos, but very few people know there are wombats in a crate under my desk! My boss is lovely and supports my caring of wildlife as do the other teachers who I work with.
Then one day a follower on my instagram page (wombats_and_wildlife_heljan09) suggested that I use a trolly instead of carrying the wombats! What a great idea! You just have to love instagram – you get to interact with some amazing people. Now as a teacher of course I have a trolley!
I like to arrive at school around 7:30 am – I’m one of those teachers who put in long hours and likes to be prepared! Arriving early means that I can get so much done before the children arrive at 9:00 am. Elsie and Barney love this quiet time to explore my classroom! It’s a peaceful time, just me and them – I plan and prepare and they explore and play.
But at the end of the day – like all of us, Elsie and Barney love coming home!
So what’s next on the journey? Do I ever have other wildlife come into care? Is it all wombats? Stay tuned….
Working with Australian Wildlife - Helen Hardy 