Ten wombats, including four feeding mothers, deliberately run over at Kangaroo Valley camping ground, NSW Police say.

By Kathryn Magann and staff for ABC.

Ten wombats, including four feeding mothers, have been deliberately run over and killed at a camping ground in the New South Wales southern highlands, police say.

However, one of four wombat joeys has survived and appears to be healthy and free of injury.

Officers were called to the Bendeela camping ground near Kangaroo Valley on Saturday and found eight of the dead animals.

Another two dead wombats were found on Sunday.

Inspector Susan Charman-Horton said at least four were feeding mothers.

“Of the eight, it was identified that four of them were female, and with the assistance of wildlife rescue, attempts were made to seek to find if there are any young ones, young joeys, in the pouches of these wombats,” she said.

“Unfortunately they were only able to identify that one of them had a joey.”

“There is the possibility that some of the others [had joeys], but with other animals in the area, they may not have been able to be located, because of the interference of other animals.”

The one surviving joey has been named Lucky and will remain in care until she is at least 18 months old [another 13 months] before being released back into the wild, said Richard Woodman from Wildlife Rescue South Coast.

“And we have it here, now, in care and it’s quite viable, and it’ll go into our normal wildlife rehabilitation program,” Mr Woodman said.

‘Bowling ball’ shape of wombats would damage car

Witnesses have told police they saw a white four-wheel drive driving around the area throughout the night but no-one saw the animals being killed.

They were found over an area of one square kilometre, about 50 to 200 metres apart.

It is believed the first eight were run over sometime between 9:30pm on Friday and 8:30 the next morning.

Inspector Charman-Horton said the car involved would likely be damaged.

“[The wombats are shaped] like a bowling ball. [They’re] quite strong, quite round, quite hard, quite heavy,” she said.

“We’ll pursue the fact that there is a possibility that someone has been cruel to animals, should it be the case that these have intentionally been hit by a car.”

Mr Woodman said any deliberate targeting of the animals was an appalling prospect.

“I can’t believe that there are people in the community who would go around and deliberately do that,” he said.

“It’s bad enough when you’re driving along and you accidentally impact a wombat, but to deliberately leave the paved area, the roadway, and go into open ground and run over an animal, is unconscionable.”

Police have appealed for anyone who may have witnessed the incident or has further information to come forward.

This post originally appeared on ABC News.