From September 2009 to September 2010 the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife provided funds to the Wombat Awareness Organisation (WAO) to undertake the treatment of wombats in the Murraylands of South Australia affected with Sarcoptic mange. This is the second largest and most isolated population of Southern Hairy-nosed Wombats in South Australia.
With the grant money, WAO undertook two methods of treatment: the capture and treatment of severely affected wombats with an injectable anti-parasitic drug and the trialling of a non-invasive self-treatment program similar to that used by WPSA.
The aims of this project were to conserve the main population of Southern Hairy-nosed Wombats in SA and to reduce the spread of the Sarcoptic mange mite and its impact on native animals, domestic animals and livestock.
Commonly known as Scabies, Sarcoptic mange is a debilitating disease which affects seven different orders of mammals, including numerous Australian wildlife species. Sarcoptic mange is a highly contagious mite infection, which has been recorded to decrease populations of Southern Hairy-nosed Wombats by 80%. Sarcoptic mange is prevalent throughout the Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat populations, and research has shown that it has the potential to threaten small isolated populations of wombats with extinction.
The mange mite burrows under the skin, causing irritation, inflammation and hair loss that results ultimately in the formation of pustules, infection and death. Mangy wombats lose body condition, forcing them out of their burrows to forage during the day, sick and sore-ridden.
There is a high mortality rate from the infection of Sarcoptic mange in the wild population of Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat. Mange has been labled a winter disease in numerous species due to the mite's preference of cool, wet conditions. Sarcoptic mange is easily treated once the infected individuals are located. The severity of the infection of mange in the wombat dictates the treatment method and the necessity for bringing the animal into care for treatment.
WAO is tackling this issue by undertaking wide scale mange treatment programs. These are the first of their kind not only in South Australia, but for the Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat.
