There are only 200 northern hairy nosed wombats left in the wild, making them one of the most endangered species on the planet, more at risk than even than the giant panda and the Sumatran tiger.
But innovative, new methods of "re-wilding" – a kind of eco-engineering – where species are re-introduced into habitats they once lived, are having some success and might point the way for conservation of other species too.
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| Photograph: Dept of Environment and Heritage Protection |
Scientists now believe there is hope for the wombats' survival, partly due to locations being found for the species to live in, back in their old habitat range from centuries ago.
"In the 1980s, there were as few as 35 of the northern hairy-nosed wombat remaining on the planet. Now we have 200," said Alan Horsup, a scientist with the threatened species unit at the department of the environment and heritage protection (DEHP) in Queensland.
Once the northern hairy-nosed wombat lived throughout a band of arid, sand forest from Queensland through to New South Wales and Victoria. But competition with cattle for grass to eat since the late 18th century has caused the wombats to slowly die out.
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