August 11th, 2026Hepburn Wildlife Shelter – proudly sponsored by The Local
Wombats are very social creatures. At the Hepburn Wildlife Shelter, the 13 orphaned wombats sleep cuddled up to each other.
They are very playful and love to chase each other, playing just like you would see baby lambs or puppies playing. They are very inquisitive animals, following each other around to see what’s going on. When volunteers at the wildlife shelter are stationary such as when washing bottles that are used to feed the baby animals, the volunteer will often find a baby wombat sitting on their feet nibbling and trying to undo shoelaces; they seem a bit obsessed with shoelaces.
The reason that there are 13 orphaned wombats at the shelter is that their mothers have been hit and killed by cars or some other motor vehicle. Sometimes the driver stops, often they don’t, and the injured animal is left lying by the roadside, trying somehow to protect its baby. Sometimes the animals are lying injured for hours before anyone notices them and it is then left to the concerned passers-by to seek help for the dying mother and her baby.
Why people don’t stop their cars to check on animals that they have hit is a question that is often asked. Wildlife Victoria has reported a 288 per cent increase in the number of wildlife hit by cars in the past 10 years. As drivers of motor vehicles, surely we have a duty of care to check on any animal that we may have accidentally injured with our vehicle, as we would for any human? Even if this just means phoning Hepburn Wildlife Shelter or Wildlife Victoria and letting them know of the injured animal.
Something we need to consider as we drive through our beautiful, forested landscape is the distance we need to stop, if there is an animal on the road or about to cross the road. Research has shown that a driver doing 80kph will need 69m on a dry road and 85m on a wet road to stop. If you are doing 60 kph you will need 45m on a dry road and 54m on a wet road: www.qld.gov.au/transport/safety/road-safety/driving-safely/stopping-distances
Another point to consider is the silence of electric cars. If you are driving an electric vehicle, how will animals even know that you are approaching if the road is windy and surrounded by forest? Maybe slowing down and having headlights on low at all times is an answer.
Jon Rowdon from the Hepburn Wildlife Shelter says that many local wildlife carers are overwhelmed by the number of orphaned animals that are coming into their care – animals who have lost their mothers due to car strike.
We can help stop this. As we rush from place to place, spare a thought for the wildlife. Every creature has a right to live. Please slow down.
Feeding time for orphans at the Hepburn Wildlife Shelter | Image: Barb Davies
Dr Marita McGuirk is a field ecologist and environmental scientist, and a volunteer at the Hepburn Wildlife Shelter. Marita writes monthly columns about the shelter and the animals it cares for. If you would like to donate or volunteer, or just to find out more information, head to www.hepburnwildlifeshelter.org
