ABQ BioPark Grieves the Loss of Wombat

The ABQ BioPark is grieving the loss of Otto, our 16-year-old resident Tasmanian wombat. 

The difficult decision to humanely euthanize Otto on Saturday, July 19, was made with a heavy heart, as his expert animal care team found his quality of life to be on a swift decline following complications from age-related chronic kidney disease.

Wombats are solitary marsupials native to Australia and Tasmania that can live to about 15 years of age in the wild. We are thankful to our animal care staff who helped Otto surpass this life expectancy and ensured he led a comfortable life here at the BioPark. 

At the start of his life, Otto was deemed a non-releasable rescue and was hand-raised as a joey. He made his way to the BioPark in 2010 as a one-year old and captured the hearts of guests and staff alike ever since. Throughout his life, care staff have provided high-quality care to Otto, with extra attention being given to him in his golden years. 

“For his senior care, we did what we could to keep him well hydrated. We also routinely monitored his bloodwork to look for signs of progressive kidney damage,” said BioPark veterinarian Hannah Drumm. “We've known he's had kidney stones for a while and unfortunately there were not any safe options to remove them so his comfort has been our number one goal. In addition to his kidneys, he received treatment for his seasonal allergies every year.”

_{A photo from 2015 depicts Otto with his large stuffed teddy bear, which was a favorite of his.}

“He was affectionately called our grumpy old man, but boy could he be a chatterbox,” said Lisa Moore, one of Otto’s closest caretakers. “Otto loved to destroy cardboard boxes, and his favorite toy was his jingle ball that other BioPark staff and visitors could hear him chasing around his yard. He will be greatly missed.”

Beyond his many enrichment items, Otto loved carrots, sweet potatoes, and his giant fluffy teddy bear. Moore noted that being a nocturnal animal, he especially liked to spend time in his barn resting on top of his teddy bear in front of a portable swamp cooler during the day.