Josh Neille - The Wombat Guy

25/06/2026

Does mange have a season?
At certain times of the year I see more mangey wombats, and I came to the conclusion that it was because the poor wombat was cold and hungry. Kotaro confirmed this, based on the research he'd done in Tassie, that mange makes the wombat have to find more food to get more energy, to try and keep itself warm.
The sicker it becomes, the colder and hungrier it is. It's so devastating to see, and to think it's such a slow and painful end to life. I hope we can solve this problem.

25/06/2026

24/06/2026

Mange is a terrible condition, and when you see a wombat suffering from mange, all you want to do is help. This conversation with Prof. Kate Mounsey and PhD Candidate Kotaro Takano took place the University of Sunshine Coast, in the busy Cafe C - so sorry about those sound issues, we've tried to smooth them out.
I hope one day we can find a cure for mange, and also invest more purposefully into doing proper research and study of mange across Australia, and funding mange management programs. I'd hate to see these ecosystem engineers become wiped out from something as horrific as mange.

24/06/2026

More magic from Malyck

https://www.instagram.com/p/DZ9Z5UCxg4x/?igsh=dnk1b3RiYWNvbGc0

24/06/2026

Thanks Rhonda Neille for sharing this

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BH2FhaX5A/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Understanding the APVMA Permit to Treat Mange

WPSA is the permit holder of APVMA Permit PER90094, which allows for the use of up to 4 mL per kg body weight, with a maximum of 100 mL per treatment on an adult wombat.

Despite the success of this treatment program, there are still misunderstandings within the treatment community about how and why it works so effectively. Anyone who has used the permit correctly knows just how rapidly mange-affected wombats can improve, with relief often noted within 24 hrs.

So why is it so effective?

There are two key factors:

1. Cydectin does not work as a systemic treatment.
It does not pe*****te through the skin and circulate in the bloodstream. Instead, it remains on the surface of the skin where it is needed.

2. Mange mites live only in the epidermis.
The mites inhabit the epidermis, the thin outer layer of skin that contains no blood vessels. They do not burrow into the deeper dermis where blood vessels are present.

These two factors work together to make the treatment highly effective. When up to 100 mL of Cydectin is applied along the wombat's back, the vegetable oil carrier helps distribute the product across the skin surface, allowing immediate contact with the mites.

Cydectin is effective against all active life stages of the mite—from larvae through to adults—but it does not kill the eggs.

In very mild cases of mange, if all female mites are eliminated during the first treatment, the final eggs laid will hatch within approximately three days. If sufficient Cydectin remains on the skin surface, these newly hatched mites will also be killed before they can reproduce.

However, in moderate to severe cases, the number of mites present is much higher. Multiple treatments are therefore required 5 to 7 days apart up to 5 treatments because it is impossible to determine how many female mites may survive after any single treatment.

There is another important factor in successful recovery: minimising stress.

A wombat suffering from mange is already under significant physiological strain. For this reason, mange-affected wombats should not be captured, handled, netted, chased, or otherwise subjected to unnecessary stress. The additional burden placed on an already compromised animal can hinder recovery.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vprsr.2024.101074

http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/vms3.70089

24/06/2026

Legends! How good is this! Amber has started a page on Facebook 🤩

https://www.facebook.com/share/1ET5uGZRTH/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Please giver her a like, follow and share. I’ve been loving the reels she’s put out lately. So great to see her view of the farm and the crazy business we get up to ❤️💪🇦🇺

Wildlife, farm life & everything in between �

23/06/2026

Bravecto vs Cydectin!
This is an ongoing debate amongst carers and mange management volunteers. We didn't come to the ultimate conclusion while I was at the uniSC, but it was really great to know there are a couple of scientists actively trying to work out what's going to be the best treatment for wombats suffering with mange.
Prof. Kate Mounsey and PhD Candiate Kotaro Takano are doing their part to help the wombats overcome the devastation that is sarcoptic mange.


Bravecto Australia Wombat Rescue

23/06/2026

Mange is a very real and serious threat to the wombat species. I'm not joking.

There's a lot of focus out there on how threatening Chlamydia is for Koala's and rightly so - it's a genuine threat to their survivability.
Mange is equally as threatening to the wombat.

What this means is we need research boots on the ground documenting mange is in wombat populations around the country, alongside well funded mange management programs to treat those populations and to try and do our best to control it. Unless we get a handle on mange, it will cause severe devastation.

Mange is an introduced pest, that came in with settlers. Our native animals did not evolve with it and have not developed defenses against it.
Until you see a wombat suffering with mange, it can be really hard to fully understand just how serious a threat it is to wombats.