The wombat is a muscular marsupial from Australia that almost resembles a teddy bear. Due to this cute and cuddly appearance, many people wonder if they make good pets. Unfortunately, these animals do not make good pets but keep reading while we discuss why not and if it’s possible to own one despite its shortcomings as a pet to help you make an informed decision.
What Is a Wombat?
The wombat is a marsupial, making it a relative of the kangaroo and Tasmanian devil. The opossum is an example of a marsupial you can find in the United States. The wombat is extremely adaptable, and you can find them in many different terrains across Australia. They dig extensive burrows to live and breed in, and you will rarely see them, except on rainy and cloudy days when they might venture out for food.
Wombats mark their territory with unique cubic feces that they can stack. They are quite prolific with their territory markings and produce up to 100 cubic feces each night. The Wombat may also use these feces to attract a mate. These animals are herbivores that can grow to 40 inches long, weighing more than 60 pounds. Its call sounds similar to a pig, and it can live more than 15 years in the wild.
The 10 Reasons a Wombat Does Not Make a Good Pet
What if I Would Like to Help With the Preservation of the Wombat?
If you are disappointed that you cannot own one of these pets but would still like to help out with their conservation, there are several online organizations you can visit, including WombatAwareness.Org. These organizations allow you to donate money to help with veterinary treatment, medications, food, travel expenses, and basic expenses so the animals can get better care. There is also plenty of information on these websites to help you learn more about these amazing animals and the problems they face.
You can even virtually adopt several of the wombats they have in captivity so you can watch it grow and age as if it was your pet. At the time of this writing, there were seven wombats ready for adoption, and each comes with an adoption certificate and an invite to join their exclusive Facebook page available to adopters only.
Summary
Unfortunately, the wombat does not make a good pet despite its cute and cuddly appearance. In fact, it can be quite dangerous to keep in the house and is likely to break free outdoors. The government protects it in its natural habitat of Australia, and it’s illegal to import them into the United States, so obtaining one will be next to impossible, and you are likely better off setting your sights on a different exotic pet. If you care for these animals and want to help them, we recommend visiting the Wombat Awareness website we listed above and others like it to find the best way to help out and learn more about them. If there is a way to obtain one legally, you will likely learn about it here.
Featured Image Credit: 3sby, Shutterstock
