Danger sign for horses and wombats
Posted on by Debbie

It’s a dangerous world out there! – Weekly Photo Challenge

Danger!

Look out! This week’s challenge is about the unexpected thrill of danger.  This week, share a photo that says Danger! to you.

I love this sign, which I smile at every time I pass by.  It is an Australian road warning sign, alerting drivers to be aware of animals on the road.

But what I see is a little dancing horse and HUGE wombat.  Now anyone who knows anything about Australian animals, knows a horse is much bigger than a wombat.  Do you think this sign indicates that?

Wombats

Wombats are low to the ground, nuggety little creatures capable of doing much damage to your vehicle, if you were to hit one.

Sure they are cute but they are also solid as a rock.  They are nocturnal and can create havoc on the road on dark nights, as they are very hard to spot. Although they are usually slow moving, they can run very fast when they want to.

Did you know wombats actually have a large solid plate in their backside?   Their best form of defence though is when they are in their burrow. Here if they are cornered they can crush their would be predator/attacker underground using a large solid plate in their backside against the roof of their burrow. Source: Australia Zoo.

If a car hits a wombat it can be very serious for both the wombat and the car.

Horses

The horse in the sign is pictured as a tiny little prancing animal, but in reality the wild horses around our area, called brumbies, are big solid creatures.  They are often black too, so blend in well at night.  Many people have been injured by colliding with one of these horses.  Again the horse or the wombat are also usually seriously injured if they are hit.

You would be correct in thinking that we live in a country area with no street lighting on these open roads.  Night time drives can be very dangerous negotiating kangaroos, wombats, horses and even emus!  Recently on a 30 minute drive home from a meeting, we counted over 20 wombats on the road – a new record by all accounts.  Luckily we saw them and they us, before they turned and ran away.

Years ago this sign also included a kangaroo, but the kangaroo has now been given its very own sign further on up, as they are the most common danger on these roads.

Australia isn’t all that dangerous!

Australian is often considered to be a very dangerous place to visit but I like to think of it this way:

Just as beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so too is danger. 

Or as Winston Churchill said:

The optimist see opportunity in every danger, the pessimist sees the danger in every opportunity!

Winston Churchill

Until next week!!

Deb xx

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40 Replies to “It’s a dangerous world out there! – Weekly Photo Challenge”

  3. Love this, Deb. Your description of the wombat reminds me of our dung beetle – who is a tiny character, but has the right of way in South Africa Nature Reserves! Today I published the next chapter of my cancer journey after a break.

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  4. I’ve never heard of a wombat so you have educated me as to one of the dangers of Australia that I need to be aware of when I come and visit your country. Wild horses won’t keep me away either! And to see a kangaroo in the wild would be a thrill. In Maine our biggest animal vs car danger is the moose. Very difficult to see after dark and unforgiving when in a collision. We also have white tailed deer but since they are smaller they do less damage and not usually any human fatalities.

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    1. Thanks for educating me on your biggest animal vs car danger, I had no idea that moose were that prevalent! I like what you did with the wild horses – very clever! Did you know we eat kangaroos?

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      1. I didn’t know you eat kangaroos. But then moose meat is delicious and I love venison so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. We have limited hunting season on moose to keep population down and they don’t give hunters much challenge other than having their lottery number picked when they apply to hunt them. They basically stand there waiting to be bagged.

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        1. I personally don’t eat kangaroo but it’s seen as very good for you being so lean. It is becoming quite popular. Interesting to learn about the moose hunting season, I love how we all learn from each other 😊

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  7. We don’t have any horse or wombat warning signs in WA – LOTS of kangaroo ones and a few possum ones too. So many kangaroos crossing the road around dusk out our way – we’ve cleaned up a couple over the years – really does damage to the car (and wrote off a motorbike too!)

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  8. Thanks for the wombat lesson. I’ve only ever seen them in zoos and had no idea they were so tough. My brother in law had a close encounter with a kangaroo in his car once — I’ve seen the photos and yikes! Our “likely to meet on the road” wildlife is all small and the danger is pretty one-sided unless you swerve to avoid. Sometimes stretches of road seem to have possum carpet! You protect them in Aus I think? Here they’re a nightmare for native plants and a source of fur/wool to sell to tourists.

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      1. That’s not a stupid question at all. You definitely wouldn’t want to tick one off. But generally they keep their distance and I keep mine!

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  10. Yes, we had no option one day to drive at dusk in the outback. Well, that was one hell of a ride 🙂 Thankfully not a long one, and no animal or man was injured in the process!! Love the quote x

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  11. This reminds me of the question…would you rather be chased by one horse-sized duck, or by 50 duck-sized horses… Maybe we can change “duck” for “wombat” for our Australian friends 🙂

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  17. Great wombat facts! I once went for a night time walk across the meadow near where I lived, only to have about 30 wild horses run toward me in the dark. The sound was like thunder! I stayed completely still, and at the last second they parted into two groups and galloped around me. Was one of the most incredible heart stopping moments ever.

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