Elsie is big – I’ve given up trying to weigh her! Barney is probably around 11 kilos. They live permanently outdoors now – or at least that’s the expectation! Keeping them outside and away from the back door is a challenge!
I have to remind them frequently that they are outdoor wombats, preparing for life in the wild. But Barney is clever enough to open the back door! I’m thinking about putting a small moat at the bottom of the stairs to keep them out!
And again, they are in!
When they do get inside, they always create a little drama!
Elsie still enjoys the camera and a good close up!
Elsie and Barney are still bottle fed. In the wild a wombat around Elsie’s size would still be living with mum but transitioning off milk. Barney is younger so he’d still go up to mum to drink milk. Subadult wombats can’t fit in a pouch anymore, so the mother’s teat elongates to enable them feed from outside the pouch. So twice a day – at 6:00 am and 6:00 pm Elsie and Barney both have a bottle of special wombat formula.
Elsie has always loved bottle time! She finishes first – then she impatiently waits for Barney.
As soon as Barney has finished his bottle – it’s Elsie time! Time for a cuddle!
And a kiss! Elsie loves her mum, she’s just a baby!
I just adore these two! But Elsie has a special place in my heart. Who would have thought the tiny 120 gram joey would survive and grow into such a healthy, happy wombat! The hours and hours of hard work, worry and stress were clearly worth it. The pictures below are a reminder of Elsie 1 year ago when she arrived in care!
And my Elsie now!
Stay tuned for more on Elsie and Barney. I’ll be wom-blogging again soon!
All images are copyrighted- please do not use, reproduce or post elsewhere. ❤️
Working with Australian Wildlife - Helen Hardy 