The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium just adopted an animal rarely seen in North American zoos: a southern hairy-nosed wombat. The marsupial named Glen arrived Nov. 4, making the Columbus Zoo one of only five in North America to house this species.
Some of Glen’s enrichment activities will involve lots of opportunities to dig. Called “bulldozers of the bush,” wombats are powerful excavators. They live underground in complex tunnel systems called warrens, where they can avoid the heat from their semi-arid native lands.
Wombats have a reputation for being ornery and aggressive. Glen, however, seems to be of the complaisant variety. “He is very laid back and extremely curious,” said Shannon Morarity, assistant curator of the Australia and the Islands region. “Because of this, he spends a good amount of his day exploring his habitat and utilizing his dig pits made of sand and dirt.”
In addition to melting hearts, Glen spends his days munching on a limitless supply of hay as well as some grains and root vegetables. He also enjoys green beans, bananas and squash as a special treat.
Glen is officially on view at the Bob and Evelyn’s Roadhouse nocturnal building at the Zoo’s Australia and the Islands region.
