There is a new arrival at The Australian Reptile Park winning hearts of all the staff – meet Poppy the baby wombat! A video was released of the little bundle of joy on the Australian Reptile Park page last night and it looks as though Poppy is a hit online, with the video being viewed tens of thousands of times in just 12 hours.
Poppy was found still in the pouch, with her mum being hit and killed by a car. Thankfully a passer-by checked the pouch and discovered Poppy’s tiny, scared face staring back at them. Suddenly alone in the world, Poppy was brought to the Australian Reptile Park where zookeeper Daniel Rumsey became her new carer and surrogate mum, providing adorable wombat with around the clock care (including a bottle feed at 3am) and the cuddles she craved.
Daniel Rumsey says “It’s always hit and miss with little orphans like Poppy. It’s hard to know if they’ve been exposed to disease, are malnourished, or even injured in the accident. She has pulled through like a true champion. Poppy is full of beans and has quickly won over everyone here at The Australian Reptile Park. She’ll follow you everywhere you go, loves cuddles and loves her bottles even more!”
Mr Rumsey goes on to explain “Cars are one of the biggest threats to Aussie wildlife. With so many people now out on the roads after New South Wales is opening back after lockdown, we are calling for people to slow down. So many animals are killed by vehicles each year and if we all took a little more care, we can decrease the number dramatically!”
