A strata property’s owners have been denied a payout for damage caused by an intruding echidna after the financial services ombudsman accepted their policy excluded the loss.

The NSW claimants said the wild animal dug under the vacant property and entered by breaking through a plasterboard wall.  

Photos submitted with the claim showed the culprit in the home, and its damage to the skirting boards, walls and carpets.

But QBE denied a payout, citing its exclusion for losses caused by “pecking, biting, chewing or scratching by birds or animals”.  

The claimants said the loss was caused by the echidna’s “digging or burrowing”, rather than scratching.

QBE said echidnas dig by scratching. It cited a fact sheet from the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service that explained the “short, stout limbs of echidnas are well suited for scratching and digging the soil”. It also provided Google images showing the animals have claws.

In its dispute ruling, the Australian Financial Complaints Authority finds the “damage was caused by the echidna digging, scraping or tearing at the house with its claws. This is ‘scratching’, according to the word’s plain and ordinary meaning.”

It says the policy does cover instances in which animal scratching has led to a separate damage event, such as a fire or water inundation, but there is no indication this occurred.

See the ruling here.

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