I think I have to read this book

Rossetti's Wombat, by John Simons, tells the story of Top, a wombat who belonged to the Pre-Raphaelite painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti for a few months in 1869. The book also describes the strange history of the European fascination with the wildlife of Australia, from the late 18th century onwards. By 1860, most well-to-do people could buy a pet kangaroo from a London pet shop - and many of them did. Wombats were rarer and more expensive but the tradition of wombat owning was well established by the turn of the 19th century. Napoleon had a pet wombat, as did the Duke of Edinburgh. I can understand why. They are adorable! "The Wombat is a Joy, a Triumph, a Delight, a Madness!" ~ Dante Gabriel Rossetti Image source