“I was shocked …”
As a wildlife carer with over 20 years of experience and the owner of Native Wildlife Rescue, Kerstin Schweth is an expert at saving lives. When Schweth recently got a call from a concerned traveler about a baby spotted alone near a busy road, the animal lover didn’t hesitate to act.
“I immediately sprung into action,” Schweth wrote in a Facebook post.
Unfortunately, by the time Schweth arrived, the orphaned baby wombat had already disappeared into the nearby rainforest brush. Schweth searched high and how. Suddenly, she saw a flash of brown fur. The wombat darted past her, taking cover in a muddy, dark burrow.
Schweth left to get a large net. She sat behind the burrow, gently lowering the net anytime the wombat showed her face. But the nervous baby ultimately went deeper inside her hiding place, too scared to understand that safety waited on the other side.
In need of some help, Schweth called a rescue partner, Lorraine, who brought buckets to block the entrance to the burrow, ensuring the wombat couldn’t run away. Later, with extra supplies in hand and another helper at the ready, Schweth set up a more elaborate trap in front of the burrow. After that, all she could do was wait.
The next morning, Schweth returned to the scene and found the cold, wet wombat joey tucked inside the trap she’d set.
“I was shocked to see how small the little wombat actually was,” Schweth told The Dodo.
Schweth nestled the wombat in her puffy jacket. She drove the joey to Lorraine’s home nearby, where the pair warmed her up and gave her glucose powder to help her regain strength.
These days, the wombat is still recovering. Schweth says that she’s drinking well and exploring her surroundings. Soon, rescuers will pair her with another orphaned joey so that she can connect with a familiar face, reducing her reliance on human contact.
Schweth named the wombat Hope to honor other orphaned wild animals who might feel lost or alone. The animal rescuer is so glad that Hope’s story has a happy ending.
“Finding her was an enormous relief,” Schweth said.