On 17 May 2006, Sue writes:
More baby Wombats at Wombat Bend

Well, that is, one more baby Wombat and some updates on others.

My Mother's Day surprise, early-ish last Sunday morning, was a tiny bundle in Bill's outstretched hands. What is this? A baby bird (wrong season, says my brain . . . it's almost winter here). Cannot guess. He opens his fingers and I see . . . a baby baby baby WOMBAT!!!!!

Inspired to go wood-gathering to supplement our fast-diminishing woodpile, he had set off after breakfast, dressed in his best overalls and chainsaw tucked lovingly under his arm.

Half an hour later, a knock at the front door (some might say it is our back door, but in a round house, how is one to know?) got my attention. He stood there - as above.

It was a sad story, but (as many of you will recall with the story a year ago of Little Forrest Wombat) with a partly-happy ending. Mother Wombat had died of no apparent cause and her body lay in the paddock just near to where Bill was preparing to gather wood. He climbed over the fence to inspect the body, and was startled to see the pouch still moving. Gently he put his fingers inside and found a little, still-warm, wriggling body. . . which he then carefully removed, wrapped her (definitely a 'her') in his handkerchief and came straight back home across the creek, over our fence, and up to the veranda and the front/back door.

Baby Susie in her bunnyrug. That little foot is about one inch long . . .

She is just perfect. No injuries, no bruising, nothing to mar her perfect skin which is a fuzz of fine silvery grey fur, with bright pink skin inside of her paws, and her bright little eyes peered up at me as she wriggled and squirmed in my hands.

Anxious to get her warm again, I wrapped her in my fleece hat and a bunnyrug (remember them?), and quickly heated up a wheatpack in the microwave to put in the bottom of a pouch, tucking her onto that and holding her close so she could start to feel safe again. In a few moments, her wriggling stopped, as the warmth crept over her.

. . . and her legs, paws and tiny face. She weighs all of 800 milligrams.

An hour later, after a quick phone call to Porscha our RescueAngel, off we went to begin Baby Susie Wombat's new life. Porscha was very excited to see her, with a little bottle of formula ready and a warm pouch to snuggle her into so I could have my hat back.

Baby Susie was reluctant to feed, but as she was warm and safe, for the moment that was more important. Sometimes it can take several days before wombats begin feeding properly, whereas baby kangaroos (joeys) will guzzle the bottle immediately.