Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat at Richard Underwood Nature Refuge

Australia’s critically endangered Northern Hairy-nosed Wombats are less picky about the soil in which they will dig their burrows than once believed, according to a new groundbreaking study. The results help clarify long-held assumptions about the species’ habitat requirements and broaden the range of environments that conservationists could consider for future recovery efforts.

Researchers with Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC), The Wombat Foundation (TWF) and Queensland’s Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation used cutting-edge ground-penetrating radar technology by Subsurface Mapping Solutions to study burrows belonging to the notoriously shy wombats, and better understand the conditions required for its survival. The non-invasive scans, conducted at Richard Underwood Nature Refuge in the south west of Queensland, were compared to previous published data from Epping Forest National Park (Scientific), to reveal that the Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat can inhabit areas with a broader range of soil types than was previously understood.

“This opens us to a whole new ‘underworld’ of options when it comes to identifying potential translocation and recovery sites for the species,” said Andy Howe, former RUNR sanctuary ecologist and lead researcher of the study.

Burrows at Richard Underwood were found to be, on average, shallower than those at Epping Forest. Researchers believe this reflects differences in soil structure, with Richard Underwood’s sandy loams and loamy sands providing greater stability than the deep, unconsolidated sands at Epping Forest.

“Up until now, we’ve drawn on studies from the remnant population of wombats at Epping Forest to determine the type of soil required for potential translocation sites,” added Andy. “However, this study, combined with historical evidence of the pre-European distribution of the species, revealed that Northern Hairy-nosed Wombats can construct functional burrows across a broader range of soil types, expanding the potential range of suitable sites for future conservation efforts.”

Leanne Brosnan from The Wombat Foundation said, “it was an incredible experience to be in the field to see this hi-tech equipment in action”.

“The Wombat Foundation are proud to have initiated and funded this ground-breaking research which will now provide vital new information as the search for a fourth site ramps up.”

The Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat is one of the world’s rarest mammals, with an estimated population of only 450 individuals, less than the Giant Panda (1,864 individuals) and the Orangutan (13,000 individuals). The last natural stronghold for the species is at Epping Forest, while a second population was established by the Queensland Government in 2009 at the 130-hectare RUNR. In 2025, a third population was established at Powrunna State Forest.

AWC plans to use the information from this study to identify and secure a suitable site capable of supporting a fourth population.

“With this new knowledge, we can now look beyond the handful of sites once considered suitable for the wombats, and start identifying other landscapes that could support a new population,” said Dr Alexander Watson, Northeast Regional Ecologist for AWC.

For more information about AWC’s work with the Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat, click here.

Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) is a pragmatic, on-ground global conservation leader, conserving landscapes and providing hope for Australian wildlife. Informed by science, we deliver measurable conservation impact at scale to secure the future of our most endangered species and their habitats, including restoring degraded landscapes where necessary.

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