About Possums

The brush-tailed possum is a major pest in New Zealand. It was introduced from Australia in 1837 to establish a fur industry. In Australia its population is kept down from dingoes, bush fires and less palatable vegetation. In New Zealand conditions are quite favourable for possums and the population now tops 70 million. It is estimated that they consume 70 million tonnes of native and introduced vegetation per year.

The following is a series of points of the damage possums do:

• They damage our native forest. They eat the new growth leaving the old as well as eating berries and flowers. Often trees will end up dying.
• They compete with the native birds by eating insects and berries as well as eating their eggs and chicks, of which many are endangered species.
• They can damage crops as well as people's gardens.
• They are a nuisance in suburban gardens.
• They spread bovine tuberculosis in cattle and deer which is damaging to the dairy industry.

"Crown Copyright: Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai (2003), Photographer: Rod Morris."

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