Orphaned Baby Wombat Suckles on Pacifier

Workers at the Canberra animal-rescue nonprofit ACT Wildlife Australia found the perfect way to keep one tiny resident happy. A baby wombat named Duggie, who, according to the organization’s YouTube channel was brought in by a “kind lady” who discovered him in his dead mum’s pouch, is finding comfort in a makeshift pacifier. Shot by ACT’s Lindy Butcher on August 14, this footage shows the animal suckling on a bottle nipple. Butcher told Storyful, “This orphan wombat joey is one of 13 in care with ACT Wildlife at the moment. He will be in care for about 18 months before being released back into the Australian bush as an independent wild wombat.” Text accompanying the footage on the ACT Wildlife YouTube channel says that prior to using the pacifier, Duggie had been unhappy “for a couple of hours,” with his bad mood possibly due to “the change from his mother’s milk to formula.” Credit: Lindy Butcher via Storyful