Help for mangy wombats

MANGE Management was set up in January 2012 as a not for profit organisation to treat wombats suffering from an infestation of the mange mite which, if left untreated leads to their death.
Berry Johnson from Mange Management said wombats are nocturnal and live under ground, which has made any kind of treatment nearly impossible.
“There has been no funding and no undertaking of any government department to try to eradicate mange or even to humanely euthanise these animals which are left to die a slow and agonising death,” she said.
“It has been left to volunteer wildlife carers and land owners to deal with this unpleasant task.”
Free living wombats will usually die within days if captured due to stress, so bringing them into care is not an option.
Mange is sometimes thought to be spread by foxes which are known to share or live in wombat burrows.
“We also know the mange mite can survive on a wombat for up to three weeks after it has died,” Ms Johnson said.
“This is the time when the mange mite is most likely to be spread as it will be seeking a new host. It is extremely important any mangy carcass is immediately and properly disposed of.
“From our experience we now know mange can be treated on free living animals by using the burrow flap method.”
The burrow flap is a simple device and is easily installed at the entrance to the wombats burrow. There is no stress involved as the wombat self- medicates when it leaves or returns to its burrow.
“The medication in the Burrow Flap only needs to be checked and replaced at weekly intervals and can be done during daylight hours,” Ms Johnson said.
Now with minimum training volunteers are able to treat wombats on their property and free workshops are available on request to all interested groups and landowners.
“The group is receiving many requests for help from all over Victoria and we desperately need more volunteers to stop the suffering of these iconic animals.”
The Department of Environment and Primary Industries ethics committee granted permission in 2012 to start treating wombats in their habitat with the use of the burrow flap system that had been used by the Wombat Protection Society in NSW since 2007.
More than 300 wombats have been treated since the beginning of the study in the Pakenham area.
Ms Johnson said only a half dozen wombats have been treated in South Gippsland in the last couple of months but this will rise once the public is aware of the management program and what can be done.
“If you see a wombat you suspect has mange the most important thing to do is get some photos that will help us identify the severity of the mange or if it is an attack or injury,” she said.
“There is a ‘report a wombat’ page on the website where you can fill in the template of the information that we need or contact us directly.”
Mange Management Group can be contacted on 0431 600 125 or 59 444 378 or email [email protected] or check out www.mangemangement.org.au.

New method: treating mangy wombats is important to help stop the spread of the mite. A new method has been developed, called the burrow flap method, which means close contact with the animals is not required.

Short URL: /?p=12743

Posted by Sarah Vella on Nov 18 2014. Filed under Rural News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry