Chuck Ripper: Queensland Hairy-nosed Wombat

Artist: Chuck Ripper
1929 -
Nationality: American
Artwork Year: 1992
Image Size: 12.75 by 14.5 inches
Overall Size: 14.75 by 17.75 inches
Medium: Gouche Water Color on Masonite

Native to Australia, the Queensland Hairy-nosed Wombat is a marsupial, one of a group of primitive mammals that raise their young in external pouches. Sturdy, bear-like creatures, Hairy-nosed Wombats average about three feet long and weigh up to 70 pounds. Adept at burrowing, they dig extensive underground dens, inadvertently providing refuge for other creatures including rabbits. And that may explain why the Hairy-nosed Wombat is today listed as an endangered species. European settlers introduced the rabbit to Australia and, with few natural enemies, the rabbit population exploded. In recent years, enormous numbers of rabbits ravaged crops throughout the continent. By digging deep burrows and thus offering shelter to rabbits, the Queensland Hairy-nosed Wombat became unpopular with farmers and was soon considered a pest. Adding insult to injury, the nocturnal Wombat will sometimes raid vegetable gardens and farmers' fields. Ranchers, too, took exception to the animals' digging habits, citing the threat posed by burrows to horses and domestic cattle which can break a leg in an unexpected hole. Unlike the cuddly, lovable koala, which has been protected since the 1920s, the Hairy-nosed Wombat and many other marsupials face continued threats, among them the numerous human-introduced predators and ever-increasing loss of habitat due to the encroachment of man.

This artwork was originally published on the Fleetwood® First Day Cover for the United Nations 29¢ Hairy-nosed Wombat stamp issued March 3, 1993.

Artwork Copyright © 1992 Unicover Corporation. All Rights Reserved under United States and international copyright laws. You may not reproduce, distribute, transmit, or otherwise exploit the Artwork in any way. Images of the Artwork may be watermarked and/or digitally watermarked. Any sale of the physical original does not include or convey the Copyright or any right comprised in the copyright.

Our Stock Number (SKU): XB14184

US$ Price: $2,700.00

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