Officials find silver lining after act of unimaginable cruelty at local beach: 'It was one of the best moments of my life'

The disturbing slaughter of 10 wombats in February has a silver lining: a 10-month-old joey was found and is on the road to recovery.

The animal survived for weeks after three people intentionally ran over the creatures in four-wheel-drive vehicles, the Sydney Morning Herald reported March 20. It happened in Venus Bay, South Gippsland, Victoria, a popular tourist spot.

Law enforcement was still investigating, and citizens were urged to call the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action or phone or submit an online tip to Crime Stoppers Victoria with any information.

Locals and wildlife rescuers hoped for the best when they found one of the dead marsupials, with rare blond fur, had an enlarged pouch. It was still lactating, per the newspaper.

Mark Radley left out bowls of water each night, and they were always empty. Kylie Laing set up cameras and tracked scat. Michelle Ford, team leader for the Community Emergency Response Team, was the one who found the joey after noticing movement beside a road while driving.

She had to chase it, and multiple people joined the pursuit, as the outlet detailed. They got hold of it and diagnosed a toe infection. The animal was named Hope.

Common wombats, also known as bare-nosed wombats, can rely on their mothers for almost two years, which is part of the reason why so many people were outraged when a social media influencer ripped a joey from the care of its mother recently. She fled the country.

Laing, a wildlife shelter operator, was on a "mission," she told the Herald.

"Sometimes I got very close, and I knew by the scats that she was close by," Laing said. "Sometimes I was so close. I could tell she just laid the scats, but she was still very fast and healthy enough to disappear."

The extensive efforts by these environmentalists show what humans can do to save native wildlife, which play important roles in ecosystems and must be safeguarded to preserve natural biodiversity.

Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty? Definitely 👍 Only in some areas ☝️ No way 👎 I'm not sure 🤷 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Wombats are protected under Victoria law, namely the Wildlife Act 1975, which dictates a fine of 9,880 Australian dollars, six months in jail, or both for every animal killed. 

Elsewhere in Australia, the critically endangered northern hairy-nosed wombat is on the comeback trail after its population dipped to 35 in the 1980s. The largest wombat species is still extremely vulnerable to extinction, however, as the animals — described as "solid balls of muscle" — do not do well in captivity.

"After everything that we've been through, it was one of the best moments of my life," Laing said. "And now what we need is to try to catch these people that did it. We need DEECA to get a conviction now."

Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.