Australian Reptile Park Mammals and Birds Keeper, Seleena de Gelder, has had her hands full as the surrogate mother to an eight-month-old wombat joey.
Caring for a wombat joey for 24 hours a day is no easy task, especially when they are running amok.
Wilbur’s mischievous nature has turned de Gelder’s home into a playground, as he chases her around and gets under her feet, breaks into her cupboards, and even chews up her shoelaces if she’s not carefully watching his every move.
“While he may be cute, he gets into absolutely everything,” she said.
“He follows me everywhere I go from the moment I wake up and has tripped me over so many times, especially when he gets the zoomies late at night.
“It is just like having a toddler at home.”
She said in the wild, Wilbur would have been following his mother around for safety and his shadowing of the keeper is instinctive behavior.
In late September, Wilbur was handed in to the Australian Reptile Park after a passerby had discovered his mother dead by the roadside, with Wilbur in her pouch.
“Whilst I absolutely love that I have a little wombat to take care of, I wish Wilbur was still able to be with his mother,” de Gelder said.
“Cars are one of the biggest threats to our wildlife, and with the school holidays quickly approaching, we’re urging people to slow down and take a little more care when driving.”
Wilbur will remain at the Australian Reptile Park until he is ready to be independent.
Once it is decided if he is healthy and strong enough, he will begin his transition training to be released back into the wild.
Whilst he is at the Park, visitors can meet him in an up-close animal encounter daily at 11am.