The Iris Post
Obituary of Don Tom the Diprotodon
By Iris W T2
Diprotodon optatum
Lived 2 million to 46 thousand years ago
During the Pleistocene Epoch
Don “Donnie” Tom the Diprotodon optatum was an amazing individual, and a model giant wombat. He was quite the ladies’ man, mating with many females and siring lots of small giant wombats. He lived peacefully with his family of eleven other Diprotodons, though for part of the year he stayed with other manly wombats. The Diprotodons would stay on the plains, savannas and open woodlands of Australia. Unfortunately, his happy life was cut short when indigenous Australians killed him for food and fur. You see, he was quite large, at almost 4 meters long and 2 meters wide, and he was covered with fur. His family, already struggling because of habitat loss, was devastated by his death. Sadly, they then succumbed to habitat loss and climate change.
Rest in peace, Don Tom.
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