Australia's northern hairy-nosed wombat is the country's most endangered species, at only 65 left in the wild. Their endangered status is largely due to the fact that their habitat has been destroyed and they are forced to compete for food with non-native animals, such as cattle and sheep. Currently, the northern hairy- nosed wombat can only be found in the Epping Forest Station in Queensland, Australia.

The wombat used to be found all over Australia until the late 1800's when they became extinct in most areas except for the 300 acres of forest in Queensland. Clearing of the forested areas has greatly impacted the wombat population as their primarily diet is composed of grasses, herbs, and roots. The decline in supply of their native grasses along with the infestation of Buffel Grass has reduced the wombat population to the lowest level of any endangered species.

Research and conservation efforts are currently underway to help this species; however, very little progress has been made since 1985 when this species was officially recognized as endangered. The Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage is overseeing research on wombat ecology including the wombat's: physiology and genetics, reproduction, interactions with predators and non-native species, habitat management, supplementary feeding, translocation, and captive management.

There is also a major recovery program underway, funded by the Queensland and Commonwealth governments, costing a combined $250,000 per year. This program involves major research and management programs including: genetics, reproduction, behavior, and diet. Management aims to improve the quality and diversity of the species. Their long term goal is to establish another wild population to increase odds of survival.

There are also attempts being made to clone this species; however, this is only in a research stage at the moment. Dr. Monique Wolvekamp, who works at the Institution of Reproduction and Development, is at the forefront of this study. According to her, cloning is a "novel assisted reproductive technology to save an endangered species from extinction." The downside to cloning deals not only with the ethics of cloning (which are being debated by governments worldwide), but also the fact that although cloning would create more northern hairy-nosed wombats, it would not give the species the genetic diversity it needs to survive. Also, it would introduce foreign DNA (found from another species of wombat) into the genetic code of the clone, thus creating another new form of wombat, not the northern hairy-nosed.

As one can see, despite the ever growing threat of extinction to the northern hairy-nosed wombat, steps are being taken to ensure their survival. To save this species, efforts will have to be taken to increase the current population in the Epping Forest Station as well as establish other populations in Australia.