Meaning of the Wombat

Wombats kind of look like if you took a bear, a pig, and a potato and mashed them all together. They're short and chubby, with stubby legs and a big ol' head that just screams "squish me." And don't even get us started on their bums - wombat backsides are pure, unadulterated perfection. Seriously, Google it. You won't regret it.

When you ask an Aussie what comes to mind when they think about a wombat, they usually say "meh". For us, however, finding the uniqueness in this remarkable creature came natural in our search for the underlying meaning of our brand.

The ultimate underdog!

Wombats closest relatives are koalas – if you check out their noses you’ll see they are pretty similar. Unlike the famous koala though, wombats play an important role in their community. For one, they provide valuable shelters for other animals in their burrows. These burrows, known as warrens, can be huge! The underground homes can contain tunnels over 200 metres long.

And these warrens don’t just serve as homes for wombats – they can become vital shelters for other small mammals, too. During bushfires, the tunnels stay cool, offering protection from the flames. Rock wallabies, bettongs, skinks and even little penguins have been seen using wombat warrens to escape fires, or hide from predators.

Wombat poo is cube-shaped (yes, really!)

A wombat’s intestines have a curious ability – they shape their poop into angular cubes.

Wombats often mark their territory using their poo, and so scientists believe that the square-sided shape is designed to stop the poop from rolling away, ensuring the smelly signals stay put!

Their pouches face backwards

Most marsupials have their pouches on their fronts, but wombats have theirs facing backwards. This protects wombat joeys (a baby wombat) in the pouch from being sprayed with dirt, while their mother digs in the ground.

The Northern hairy-nosed wombat, is critically endangered

Sadly, there are only 115 Northern hairy-nosed wombats left on Earth. Due to food shortages and droughts, this super species has been driven out of their historic habitats. They now live in just two tiny locations in Queensland, Australia.

Luckily, conservationists are working hard to help. In the 1980s, just 35 Northern hairy-nosed wombats were left alive – so things are already improving!

Wombats can run at speeds of up to 40km per hour!

Good luck stopping a rampaging wombat! These amazing animals can move surprisingly quickly when they need to, and can sustain this speed for up to 90 seconds. There are even reports of humans being knocked over by charging wombats!

Our brand relates to this quirky creature in the way we aspire to become a safe haven for our community, backing the underdog, not to be underestimated and always innovate in unique ways.