Skiers film 'bizarre' encounter high on Aussie ski slopes: 'Probably wouldn't do it again'
Claudine Talbot was skiing with her friend through Kosciuszko National Park in New South Wales on August 4 when she decided to challenge herself and jump off some rocks protruding from the snow-covered ground.
However as she began to take off, one of the rocks suddenly moved.
"I skied towards the rocks, trying to jump off them, and then one of the rocks moved. I squealed and realised it wasn't a rock, it was a wombat," she told Yahoo News, saying the situation was so "bizarre".
In shock, she decided to catch her breath and try to get closer to the native animal as it plodded across the snow. In a bid to get closer she laid down on her back, and the inquisitive animal approached her.
"It kind of just walked up to me, gave me a sniff, nibbled my jacket and my hair. It then just got bored of me and walked away," she recalled.
"I was scared of its claws and teeth. That dude had an overbite like 16-year-old me. It was wild, and I didn't realise I was meant to be scared until I saw they can be dangerous."
📸 Beautiful photo taken after 'battle-scarred' wombat's life-changing moment
😟 Call for US tourist to 'leave' Australia after 'distressing' act with baby wombat
👀 Man faces 20 charges after wombat deaths in quiet holiday town
Skier warned after learning wombats can be dangerous
After sharing the footage of her and the wombat online, Claudine was inundated by people urging her to keep her distance from wombats as they can pose health and safety risks.
The wombat population continues to grapple with mange, a highly contagious disease caused by mites that burrow into the skin. It results in itchy sores, fur loss and eventual blindness in the animals. WIRES estimates around 90 per cent of wombat populations have it, highlighting just how impactful the disease has been on the species. People can catch mange from affected wombats, and it is one of the reasons why it's best to keep your distance.
Wombats are also remarkably strong and can inflict harm if they feel threatened. This was evident when wildlife rescuer Beth Nassar was attacked by a wombat she had hand-reared on her property in the NSW Southern Tablelands. BamBam, the 42kg wombat, charged at her, and she had to undergo hand surgery, telling Yahoo News at the time she feared she may lose it.
"I probably wouldn't do it again," Claudine admitted to Yahoo about her close alpine encounter.
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