Wombat Mange Program
The ACT Wildlife Mange Management Program aims to reduce the number of wombats and other native wildlife with mange in Canberra and the surrounding region.
What is mange?
Mange is a skin infection caused by parasitic mites that burrow into the skin, also known as scabies in humans. Mange can cause skin discolouration, hair loss, excessive scratching, skin crusting and thickening, weight loss, open wounds, and death in extreme cases due to a secondary infection and compromised immune system. While mange is mainly seen in wombats, its normal host animal is foxes and wild dogs, it can also spread to other native animals and even humans.
How you can help a local wombat suffering mange?
If you see a sickly wombat with mottled, uneven fur, chances are it has a painful skin infection called mange. It could be on public or on private land and it’s important the wombat receives life-saving treatment.
Treating a wombat infected with Mange
ACT Wildlife can provide a free treatment pack for interested members of the public who would like help with the treatment of mange in wombats. The program consists of 1 dose weekly for 8 weeks and then 4 fortnightly treatments, making a total of 12 treatments over 16 weeks.
The weekly treatment dose rate of Cydectin® pour on for a wombat with mange is 1 ml per 10 kg body weight. The dosage recommended for an adult sick mangy wombat is 5ml, this allows for some spillage. Based on the mite life cycle.
The pack includes
- 5ml syringe or pipette
- 1 x flap with cap inserted, The flaps used to treat wombat burrows can be made from corflute, ice-cream container lids and milk bottle lids.
- 1 x frame (or more if burrow has more than one entrance)
- 1 x wombat treatment safety package (includes chemical safety sheet, sub permit information, plus laminated warning signs and label, information leaflet)
- 2 x cable ties for the flap
- 50ml bottle of Cydectin
Contact us at mange@actwildlife.net if you would like to be involved in the program.
ACT Wildlife would like to keep the mange packs free to members of the public but to do so we really rely on the support of the public. Any donations are greatly appreciated.