Unfortunately, not all of the good news you read is true.
A series of viral social media posts about wombats is a prime example of this.
One reason that the shepherding idea is probably false is due to the wombats' vision.
Stock Photosfrom Marco Tomasini/Shutterstock
But, they are still capable of extraordinary behavior.
But he didn’t shepherdhe just waited, looking around to see if I followed, sheexplained to IFLScience.
Another reason the tweets are probably inaccurate is that wombat burrows are no secret to other creatures.
It’s unlikely any shepherding would be necessary, French said.
[Other animals] would know the wombat warrens existed and are intelligent enough to seek shelter.
Wombat burrows are more complex than you might think.
(This is a good thing, as wombats can be cantankerous towards others.)
Even reports that they have been observed exhibiting sheperding behavior.
Wombat behavior doesn’t include leading other animals to their warrens.
Creatures know the burrows exist and go there on their own without ever encountering the wombats.
h/t: [IFL Science!]
