Rescued wombat returns to wild
When we first met Poppy the wombat last November, the orphaned joey was enjoying her temporary home at the Australian Reptile Park. But a wombat belongs to the wild, and so in an emotional farewell, her friends wish Poppy goodbye as they prepare her for the journey back to nature.
Bonus! Earlier this year, the staff decided to throw Poppy a treat-filled birthday party!
Yay for Poppy! I hope she has a wonderful wild life!
I’m happy for Poppy, I guess? After living with humans for more than a year, humans who loved her, why is everyone so confident she won’t feel abandoned being released into the wild? I guess they do it gradually, giving her sort of a choice?
Wombats always look so cuddly but Poppy seems to especially appreciate being held like a big rolly polly baby. I hope she doesn’t miss her keepers too much and easily takes to going back to the wild and maybe find a boyfriend and make more little baby wombats.
Those people are heroes. I wouldn’t have the courage to let her go. Obviously there’s a lot of love between them and little Poppy–you can see it in all their faces.
Dubravkamcvmd, I think the soft release is all about choices. I’ve seen other wildlife rehabbers make food available and basically just leave the door open so the critter can stick around or start its new life.
Thanks. I was hoping it was something like that. Poppy seems so happy where she is.