As few as three wombats are alive in Tasmania’s Narawntapu National Park following an outbreak of mange disease in 2010, which reduced the population by 90 per cent.
Wildlife ecologist Dr Scott Carver says wombats were treated with a chemical drench in an attempt to eradicate the disease, but the treatment was not successful in the long term.
Zoologist Michael Driessen says there is still hope, with his team looking for a treatment that could protect wombats for up to three months at a time.