Pohutakawa Tree, Christchurch,

Wear a possum - save

New Zealand!

 As the government and environmental groups work to control the possum population, estimated at between 70 and 90 million, the New Zealand garment industry is lending a helping hand by creating a growing trade in possum products. The possum allows designers to use luxurious fur products in their fashions without incurring the wrath of anti-fur protesters. In fact, any use of the possum's fur or skin gets the thumbs-up from environmental groups in New Zealand.

Possum fur is spun with sheep's wool to create soft and luxurious sweaters, hats and scarves; possum-leather products are almost indestructible. It's rumoured that Tiger Woods won't play golf with any other glove than one made of possum skin. Many of these products come with a label that reads, "Thank you for buying possum fur. You are helping to save our environment."  Even the World Wildlife Fund New Zealand sanctions "the commercial harvesting of possums, as one measure that can assist in eradicating the species completely from New Zealand."

It is estimated that the current population of possums in New Zealand devour nearly 8 million tonnes of vegetation annually. It equates to 20,000 tonnes or 4000 truckloads every night! This poses a serious threat to New Zealand forestry which is one of the country's primary industries.  Possums also eat or destroy both eggs and chicks of native birds, many of which are endangered and compete with native species for food. They can also act as carriers of bovine tuberculosis that may be transmitted to cattle and other farm stock.

The possum has no predators and New Zealand''s indigenous bush is defenceless against them. They are therefore a very a serious threat that has spread to over 92% of New Zealand''s three main islands. Native trees, including the beautiful Pohutakawa, plants, & birdlife including the kiwi, are under threat from extinction because their habitat is being destroyed by the possum.

There are of course, a few that say that left alone,

animal populations can and do regulate their own numbers. However this stance betrays an alarming and woeful ignorance of the cost to indigenous flora and fauna.

In New Zealand, the possum population exploded and thrived because it was transported to a place in which it had, and still has if man does not take a hand, no natural predators.  Furthermore, the possum's own food sources in New Zealand, both plant and bird, evolved for thousands of years without any need to develop defences against this foreign threat. The likelihood of them developing these in response to the possum threat before they become extinct is, to say the least, unlikely.  

Biological controls for the possum are in the pipeline, but are still 5-10 years away from coming on-line.  By that time it may well be too late for the Kiwi and the Pohutakawa tree, whose loss would be calamitous.  So help New Zealand wildlife and eco-system and. as they say in New Zealand:

        "Wear a possum - save a forest!"

http://www.kcc.org.nz/pests/possum.asp           http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/research/biosecurity/bio controlpossum

http://www.pce.govt.nz/reports/allreports/possum_mgmt_9 8.shtml

http://www.doc.govt.nz/templates/podcover.aspx?id=33422