Children are set to be better educated about helping Wombats with mange, after local author Melinda Kerr released her debut book.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
'Digger gets the itch' is a story about a baby Wombat and his mother being recognised by a farmer for being sick with mange.
"The farmer sees them and realises that they need help, which is something that a lot of farmers around our area need to be doing. They need to see if a Wombat is sick, and they need to report it," Ms Kerr said.
"The farmer reports it, the wildlife treaters come and they make them better. It's a nice happy ending for the kids. It does just teach them what to do, essentially, if they do see a Wombat that needs help."
Ms Kerr had the idea for the book after her volunteer work with 'Kanimbla wombats' revealed the devastating impacts mange has on the animal's population.
"Mange is affecting 90% of the Wombat population. It's actually a huge issue that not too many people know about. I thought, everyone needs to know about this," Ms Kerr said.
"I also started thinking about how terrifying the idea of losing Wombats is, and the fact that future generations could possibly not get the opportunity to live alongside them, which is really sad."
"I decided that I'd write a children's book about mange to teach children how they can help one that's sick. Hopefully we can prevent Wombats from going extinct."
Ms Kerr is offering the opportunity to local schools for her to come in and read the book and discuss Wombats with the children.
According to Ms Kerr, mange is a treatable condition if the Wombats are reported to authorities such as Kanimbla Wombats or WIRES.
Ms Kerr said there are signs to look for in Wombats who may be suffering from the condition.
"Mange is caused by a tiny little mite that you can't actually see but what it does is it burrows under the skin of the Wombats, and it causes an allergic reaction and the allergic reaction is really obvious and really easy to see.
"They develop these plaques along the sides of their bodies, on their ears in their eyes that actually makes them blind and deaf. But it comes up as looking like these big dry plaques of skin."
"It also changes the wombats behaviour. It affects their metabolism, which means that they need to eat more food. They also can't sleep because they're so itchy and they're so irritated and they can't regulate the temperature."
According to Ms Kerr, Seeing Wombats out during the day is a strong indicator that it may have mange as they are normally nocturnal animals.
'Digger gets the itch' is available for purchase now from Amazon, Booktopia or through the Kanimbla Wombats website.
Reidun Berntsen
Reidun is a Journalist and writer who lives in a country town 3 hours from Sydney, Australia. From a young age, Reidun has been in love with words and the infinite possibilities they bring. Stories, features and poems have been a major part of her writing career.
Reidun is a Journalist and writer who lives in a country town 3 hours from Sydney, Australia. From a young age, Reidun has been in love with words and the infinite possibilities they bring. Stories, features and poems have been a major part of her writing career.
