Wombat on the slopes of Thredbo in Australia.
Wombat on the slopes of Thredbo in Australia.

I know Australia has ski resorts, and I know Australia has some pretty interesting animals, but I never really put the two together in my head. While in the United States you might see some bears, fox, or a moose on the trail, Australian ski resorts might have kangaroos, echidnas, or, like in this video shared by Thredbo Resort in New South Wales, wombats on the trails.

According to PBS, the common wombat lives in the woodlands, coastlands, mountains, and shrublands of Australia, specifically populating Tasmania, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia. Another species of wombat, the northern hairy-nosed wombat, can be found only in Queensland. They’re typically around 3.5 feet long, and weigh 55 to 88 pounds. They are, like kangaroos and koalas, a type of marsupial.

Wombats are fully herbivores, eating grass, herbs, plants, bark, and more. The Australian Museum states that these animals are quick, moving up to 40 km/h (~25mph) in short bursts. While attacks on humans are quite rare, they can happen, and wombats can do a solid mauling. Again though, attacks are very rare.

Of course, alongside wombats on ski trails, kangaroos are a possibility in Australia. According to the Australian government, there were 9,815,115 in New South Wales alone in 2011. They’re like deer, so they’re pretty likely to show up.

Kangaroo on the slopes of Perisher in Australia

Don't miss out!

Get the latest snow and mountain lifestyle news and entertainment delivered to your inbox.

Hidden
Newsletters
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.