Northern hairy-nosed wombats find a new home in Powrunna State Forest
Moving 60 northern hairy-nosed wombats into new burrows over 800km away takes a lot of groundwork. Thankfully, a hard-working team is dedicated to the survival of this critically endangered species.
Northern hairy-nosed wombats are among the rarest mammals in the world, and with a single natural population existing at one location in Queensland, they are at a high risk of extinction.
In 2024, the team started translocating northern hairy-nosed wombats from the last remaining natural population at Epping Forest National Park (Scientific) in central Queensland to establish an additional population at Powrunna State Forest in south-west Queensland.
The project team, with the support of the Gunggari Native Title Aboriginal Corporation (GNTAC), Gunggari Native Title holders, The Wombat Foundation and Glencore, has been meticulously planning this translocation for more than 12 months.
To establish this new population, the team has built on lessons learnt from protecting the natural population at Epping Forest National Park, supporting its growth to 400 wombats, and establishing a second population at Richard Underwood Nature Refuge in 2009.
In May 2024, 15 wombats (5 males and 10 females) were captured and moved by vehicle in custom-made transportation boxes from Epping Forest National Park to Powrunna for release.
All wombats underwent a health assessment by a vet before being translocated. Wombats suitable for translocation were microchipped and fitted with a GPS collar for monitoring at the new site.
Powrunna was chosen after a thorough analysis of potentially suitable sites in Queensland. Wombats dig vast burrows and require a specific ratio of sand and clay in the soil so their burrows don’t collapse. Powrunna has suitable soil characteristics.
On the ground at Powrunna, the team built predator-proof fencing around the release site, installed water infrastructure and remote cameras, and dug starter burrows so the wombats had immediate shelter on arrival.
GNTAC and Gunggari Native Title Holders cultural heritage coordinator Maud Kearns explained how GNTAC has supported the preparatory works.
“Our support ranges from cultural heritage survey clearances, cultural heritage awareness training with staff and contractors working on the project and being part of the project management committee.”
Significant investment from Glencore and the Australian Government through the Environment Restoration Fund has also underpinned the project.
The project will take 2–3 years to completely translocate 60 wombats, with ongoing monitoring and maintenance required. The next big celebration for the team (and the wombats) will be finding the first wild-born wombats at Powrunna.