After days of heavy rain in New South Wales, Australia, one frightened wombat sought refuge from the storm by crawling into a large concrete drain.
It must’ve seemed like the perfect hiding spot — dark, enclosed, and dry. But as the downpour continued, the drain filled with water, and soon the poor marsupial was fighting to keep her head above the rising flood.
Though wombats can swim short distances, they generally avoid water whenever possible. They’re burrowers by nature, and to this scared animal, the drain probably felt like the safety of her underground home — until it started to flood.
Fortunately, fate placed her right beside a Navy airfield base. An observant officer noticed the struggling wombat and immediately contacted Phil Donovan, a maintenance worker at the base — who also happens to be a licensed wildlife rescuer with Mudgeroo Wombat and Wildlife Refuge.
When Phil arrived, he saw the wombat clinging desperately to the concrete walls, her claws scraping for grip as she tried not to slip under.
“It was horrible watching her clawing the concrete with her front legs as she slipped and tried to avoid swallowing water,” the refuge later wrote on Facebook.
Realizing she’d been trapped for hours, Phil called his wife, Belinda, a wildlife veterinary nurse, for help. Together, they tried everything they could to lure her out, but the terrified wombat was too weak and cold to move.
“She was shivering and on the verge of hypothermia,” Belinda told The Dodo. “That’s when we knew we needed more help.”
So they called in reinforcements — the Navy base fire department. Within minutes, two trucks arrived. The team devised a plan: they would gently flush the wombat out using controlled water pressure from a fire hose, ensuring she wouldn’t drown.
As the water current strengthened, the wombat was finally swept toward the opening — where Phil, who’s rescued wildlife for over 15 years, reached in and caught her just in time.
“Shaken but not injured, she was exhausted,” Mudgeroo Wombat and Wildlife Refuge shared.
After drying her off and giving her a full health check, the Donovans let the wombat rest before returning her safely to the wild — somewhere dry, peaceful, and perfect for burrowing once again.
Now free, she has a second chance to live her wild life — and maybe raise a joey or two of her own.
If you’d like to help wombats like her, you can support Mudgeroo Wombat and Wildlife Refuge through their GoFundMe page.
