Observations on the mortality of young southern hairy-nosed wombats (Lasiorhinus latifrons) in the Murraylands of South Australia

Abstract

There are very few reports on mortality of young southern hairy-nosed wombats. We describe the appearance of six young wombats that died when rainfall was well below average in 2017–19. Some of the wombats appeared malnourished, and most died around the age of weaning, which we conclude is a vulnerable time for them. A crude and lower estimate of the mortality of wombats born in 2016 was 31%.