Clare L Rolfe

Jul 25, 20201 min

Giants once walked here

I thought this was an interesting article on one of the cutest yet not to be underestimated animals of the bush - wombats. Of course the imagination went into overtime thinking of these serious excavators of dirt in pre-historic proportions. Dwarves of Moria have nothing on them

https://theconversation.com/meet-the-giant-wombat-relative-that-scratched-out-a-living-in-australia-25-million-years-ago-141296

Wombats burrows were found to have other animals in them which lead to the belief they shepherded other animals for safety during bushfires.

Their burrows can be extensive in their size with several burrows joined together to form a network over several kilometres. The tunnels sit at a mean temperature of 26 degrees and can be a haven during bushfires for other wild life.

The video was made by students from Melbourne University researching the phenomena of finding other animals in wombat burrows..

A little tribute

Gwydd

Thunder breaks the night

A delirious moon bounces

In the bush a lyre bird sings high and thin

A shudder wakes the koala in the tree

“Is that you Gywdd?”

“Yes it is Serl.”

“Where are you off to?”

“Headin’ back”

“Are you putting a billy on?”

Thump Gywdd jumped a rock

Bursting the moon

While Serl falls out of the tree

And Lyre bird misses a note

“Yeah bring some leaves.”

Starlight drapes the bush, silent surrounds

Gwydd chuckles

“Wonder what moon-dusted tea tastes like?”

As it disappears underground

Clare L Rolfe @ 2020

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