Wombat strike...

Author: jawapro
Date: Tue 18/08/2009 07:00 PM




 

When it comes to Tasmanian wildlife - the worst thing you can run into is a Wombat.

They are large and extremely solid - and I hit one.

I was coming home on Sunday night on the Frankford highway, and rounding a bend, there was suddenly a wombat in the middle of the road.

I dodged to the other side of the road and slammed on the brakes, but so did the wombat (the dodging, not the braking).

We collided, which sadly was the end of the wombat (sad, as I really like wombats). It could have been pretty much the end of my car too - but the Subaru proved how tough it is.

I had a bent number plate, and one of the driving lights was hanging by a wire - but apart from that, the car was fine. Well - apart from saying it was out of fuel - but I’m guessing it must have said that beforehand too.

Other cars in the family have sustained far more damage after hitting far less substantial things. I’ve bent the number plate a couple of times, but apart from that the Scooby-doo has come out pretty well. Although, after saying this, I’ll probably write it off by running into a grasshopper tomorrow.




Comments: 9

 

Comment: 1

Author: turkeybrain
Date: Tue 18/08/2009 08:36 PM




I've heard of wobats ripping the suspension out of cars and walking away before, so for you to manage to take it out and not the car, that's a good effort. How big was said wombat? I would guess it was a smaller one...

 

Comment: 2

Author: LittleSis
Date: Wed 19/08/2009 09:03 AM




I am a little surprised that it was fatal for the wombat. Did you check its pouch for babies or was it a boy wombat?

 

Comment: 3

Author: Nifen
Date: Thu 20/08/2009 08:21 AM




did you have those whistle things?

 

Comment: 4

Author: jawapro
Date: Thu 20/08/2009 09:32 AM




Ok.

Turks: It looked pretty big in the dark when I was about to hit it - but I'm guessing it must have been a small one.

Emma: I didn't check for babies or anything - just to make sure it looked very dead (not sure what I'd do if it wasnt - There weren't any heafty sticks around to put it out of it's misery, and it looked injured enough that it wouldn't have been rescueable).

Yes, I'm sad - because Wombats are among my favorite Australian wildlife. In fact - they might be my favorite.

Nifen: I used to have those whistles - but the double-sided tape wore out and they fell off. Probably should put some more on eh?

 

Comment: 5

Author: turkeybrain
Date: Thu 20/08/2009 12:28 PM




Shoo-Roo's are good, but I seriously hate them. Very seriously hate them. Thankfully they're nowhere near as loud in the car as they are outside. Also, putting them on with double sided tape is like using Chickenfeed spray paint...

 

Comment: 6

Author: LittleSis
Date: Thu 20/08/2009 02:59 PM




You should always check for babies. They frequently (shouldnt really say frequently, it implies that I have actually found some statistics - they sometimes) survive car accidents that their mother's die in. I would love to raise a baby wombat. They are my favourite native Australian mammal (notice that I cant just say animal - there are way too many, very different native animals that I cant just chose one favourite. This way I can have a favourite invertebrate, fish, amphibian, bird, reptile, and mammal.). They do tend to cause quite a lot of problems for their carers, though - for instance, it is common for them to simply walk straight through a closed door (leaving a rather large wombat-shaped hole in the door) or anything else that is in their way.

 

Comment: 7

Author: turkeybrain
Date: Thu 20/08/2009 06:37 PM




Uh, Emma, where do you plan to keep this wombat which Rob will find for you when he next runs over one? Not saying it wouldn't be awesome!

 

Comment: 8

Author: LittleSis
Date: Sat 22/08/2009 10:55 AM




In my backpack, of course.

My friend Megan raises orphaned wallabies and she used to cart them to and from uni in her backpack so that she could feed them while she was at uni. Everyone used to wonder why she was carrying all her books instead of putting them in her backpack - she kept it a secret that she was carrying around baby orphaned wildlife because she didn't want to be mobbed by a pack of enthusiastic first years "ooh"ing and "ahh"ing over them.

 

Comment: 9

Author: turkeybrain
Date: Mon 24/08/2009 08:15 AM




I can see that happening...