A wildlife refuge has turned to rigorous investigations to track down the wombat that has fathered a unique baby, in a search that has definite Jerry Springer vibes.

To mark World Wombat Day last Thursday, Australian Wildlife Conservancy released footage of the first juvenile northern hairy-nosed wombat discovered at Queensland’s Richard Underwood Nature Refuge in more than two years.

But the discovery has triggered an investigation to uncover which of the known resident males at the 130-hectare conservation area on Yarran Downs Station, near St George in southern Queensland, is responsible for the baby.

In a 2024 genetic study conducted along with Adelaide University, AWC identified the three potential fathers from the estimated population of 18 wombats sampled inside the refuge.

“It feels a bit like we’re in an episode of Jerry Springer,” wildlife ecologist Dr Ben Stepkovitch said. “We’re excited to see the little wombat popping up on motion sensor cameras, it’s reassuring to see the population growing. But we also need to conduct a paternity test.”

American talkshow host Jerry Springer famously covered dramatic episodes with guests in paternity disputes or dysfunctional family feuds.

Stepkovitch will need to collect the juvenile’s DNA to work out which of the known males fathered the joey – or if there’s an undetected male in the area.

“The juvenile’s DNA could tell us whether we have more breeding males in the population than we currently know – which would be very exciting if that’s the case,” he said.

Wombats need to be old enough to leave solid scat samples, which Stepkovitch believes could be as soon as next month – so he’s already cleared his schedule to go searching.

This baby northern hairy-nosed wombat is at the heart of a unique identity search. Photo: AWC/Brad Leue Photo: Australian Wildlife Conservancy/Brad Leue

Once a fresh sample is sealed tightly in a container, it will be sent to Adelaide University for analysis and comparison to samples collected in 2024.

“Genetic diversity is important in helping species to adapt to challenges such as disease, environmental change and other threats,” Stepkovitch said.

“If most of the young wombats are being fathered by the same few males, that’s something we’ll need to understand and monitor closely.”

The northern hairy-nosed wombat is one of the world’s rarest animals with a population of just over 400 – fewer even than the giant panda and orang-utan. As such, genetic diversity remains a serious challenge.

“On the other hand, if this juvenile’s father turns out to be a male we didn’t detect during the study, it would be a positive sign for the refuge’s long-term genetic health,” Stepkovitch said.

This tape will capture hair from the wombats, which can then be used for genetic testing. Photo: AWC/Andy Howe

The species was brought back from the brink of extinction in the 1980s at the nearby Epping Forest National Park. Today’s entire population descends from just 35 wombats that survived there.

The Queensland government established RUNR in 2009 as an insurance population for the species. Another refuge was established at Dhuny Yumba National Park in 2024.

RUNR has been managed by AWC since 2022.

Republished from InQueensland