Man Pets Baby Wombat

I probably shouldn’t share this video of a sunbathing man petting an utterly adorable baby wombat that wandered over for some belly rubs, because it’ll probably cause a rash of people trying to get a wombat as a pet (don’t do that–this particular wombat was a rescued orphan being raised for re-release into the wild).  

But I can’t help myself.  I’ve always loved wombats, and this video shows exactly how cute they can be.  

In case you were wondering, wombats are marsupial mammals native to Australia. There are three species, one of which, the northern hairy-nosed wombat, is critically endangered.   All are herbivores that graze on grasses and other vegetation. Their short stocky body and thick legs with sharp claws allow them to be expert diggers. In fact, they spend most of their time hiding out in deep burrows. Adult wombats can get to be 60 lbs and will aggressively defend themselves by biting. They are definitely not an animal that you’d ever want to approach or pet in the wild.  

Oh, and their poop is cube-shaped and looks like a pike of smelly dice. 

Here’s another great wombat video about wombat orphans from Animal Planet:

Get Involved! Protect wildlife with David and the National Wildlife Federation.