Conserving Camden's Wombats - INDUCTED VOLUNTEERS ONLY
Cobbitty, NSW

Our wombat recovery program aims to treat mange in Camden’s wild bare-nosed wombats, an invasive disease that threatens the diminishing local wombat population.

If left untreated, mange can lead to a slow and painful death in wombats. Fortunately, early treatment resolves the disease and helps to prevent a reinfestation. Wombats with mange are treated in situ by installing a flap which dispenses a small dose of ointment as they exit their burrows in the evening.

This program will be treating the wombat population living at Camden Airport, Cobbitty. Once common, wombats are declining in the region and this is one of the few remaining large populations in the Sydney region. The Airport property includes over 3 km of Nepean River frontage where Camden Airport Ltd has been restoring the wombat’s riverflat forest habitat for almost a decade. This program will complement this work by treating mange and recovering the local wildlife of the area.

Activities to date have involved surveying and mapping of wombat burrows to identify target areas for treatment. All burrows have been fixed with a treatment burrow flap.

We will now commence a series of weekly and then monthly treatment visits in order to effectively treat the entire wombat population of the target area. Wombat and burrow activity will be monitored throughout the program via remote sensing cameras, enabling the progressive health of animals to be assessed. Thus, there are opportunities to assist with the reviewing and ‘tagging’ of wildlife camera images (please contact rhockey@cva.org.au if interested).

***IMPORTANT: This project day is only available to those volunteers who attended an initial site induction session at Camden Airport in May. If you have not been inducted but would like to get involved in this project please contact rhockey@cva.org.au as we may run a future induction session if required.

This program is a partnership involving Conservation Volunteers Australia, Greater Sydney Local Land Services, Camden Airport Ltd, Coca-Cola and Landcare Australia.

DETAILS -

TIME: 3pm – 9pm.

WEAR: sturdy, enclosed boots; long pants; long-sleeved shirt; hat; sunscreen; & insect repellent.

BRING: water; head torch; wet weather gear (optional) and your mobile phone.

If for any reason you can no longer make it on the day, or if you are going to be late and/or cannot find the meeting point, please contact the Wollongong office on (02) 4228 9246.