When a baby wombat lost her mom at just a few days old, this woman, named Donna, stepped in and became her human caretaker. Donna was the perfect candidate to take over the parenting duties – she and her husband, Phil, own Sleepy Burrows Wombat Sanctuary in Australia.
The wombat was so little, she was still pink and hadn’t grown hair yet. She was shy at first, but came out of her shell over time and at the gentle urging of her adoptive mom, who carried her around and nurtured her constantly.
There are plenty of other wombats at the sanctuary for the orphaned baby to interact with, and she’s developed a mischevious and playful personality. Donna and Phil certainly have their hands full with the naturally inquisitive wombats, who love to explore their surroundings and need around-the-clock care and supervision.
The couple started rescuing wombats when they noticed that a lot of them become orphaned due to their mothers being hit by cars and illegally hunted. While the ultimate goal is always to release rescued wombats back into the wild, rehabilitation can sometimes take years.
Thank you to Donna and Phil, whose compassion and dedication have given a much-needed voice to Australia’s wombats!
