Juno and the Wombat

By Lynette Murphy, straight from the Australian Outback
Copyright © 2003 Kerry Blue Terrier Foundation

Lynette Murphy and Juno live alone on a farm in the Australian Outback. She is an active contributor to KB-L (the Internet Kerry newslist), and keeps us informed about Juno's exploration of the Australian wilds.

Well I didn't think it would happen so soon but today Juno saw her first wombat. To those who know what sort of animal a wombat is, you can skip this next bit. A wombat is a herbivore about three feet long, 1 foot high, shaped like a big football and very heavy. They live in burrows dug at the base of old tree stumps or a pile of rocks. The system of burrows can be quite extensive and they are generally nocturnal. They are native to Australia and are protected. They are harmless but farmers don't like them much because they are great diggers and can dislodge and damage fencing. They are territorial and only become a pest if their numbers become too great. They have short legs and are covered in brown or grey fur.

There we were sitting on the edge of a waterhole 'way up in the paddocks just enjoying the tranquility of the spot when Juno, to her extreme suprise, saw a brown thing moving amongst a big pile of old logs not far away. I wanted to sit by the waters edge but I also want Juno to chase wombats out of the garden (one had previously tried to burrow under the main chimney - not good) so we walked over to investigate. The entrance to the burrow was through the end of a large hollow log. The pungent smell of wombat drew every molecule of mental and physical energy from Juno and she began to enter and back out of the hole. She see-sawed in and out of the hole going a little further in each time and digging furiously. We've recently had heavy rain and the bottom of the burrow was sloshy with mud and water. You can imagine the muddy water flying around as she dug. Eventually she was down the burrow the full length of the lead plus my arm. By this time the wombat had probably emerged from another entrance a safe distance away and headed for the timber. When I asked Juno to desist she emerged and gave me a lovely mud shower:) Back home she remained ever so perky until I sluiced her off leaving rivers of mud in the bathtub.

It was fantastic to see a Kerry 'go to ground' as they've been bred to, even if it was only a simulation. I hope she's learning it's OK to hunt wombats if she finds one around the house but NOT OK to hunt sheep.

Last Update:   Terms of Use and Disclaimer.