Playing possum

[Jezza]

[Zoidburg]

Good eating?

[border-rider]

Where were those pics taken ?


That's a fine fellow

[Jezza]

Taken in Whangaruru, Northland, New Zealand.

The farmer had shot a possum earlier that evening and found this little one in its pouch. He couldn't bring himself to kill it so gave it to his daughter, who christened it Gollum. 

[border-rider]

Ah, thanks

Cute fellows.  We saw some in NZ not far from there  - but I was amazed by the numbers squished on the roads on parts of the Nth Island.

[alchemy]

They are indeed cute little things, but they don't half make a racket if they get in your roof 

[Sergeant Pluck]

The farmer had shot a possum earlier that evening and found this little one in its pouch.

Poor thing. 

Are they seen as pests then?

[Kathy]

Are they seen as pests then?

In a country with no native mammals, and lots of rare, flightless or ground-nesting birds, yes.

[CathH]

They were another, ultra-stupid non-native import I think.  No natural predators there, so their numbers are out of control.  Poor little beasties - not their fault.

[border-rider]

Mmm.

Someone also imported hares- presumably for coursing - and hedgehogs.  That's an odd one.

[alchemy]

Foxes, rabbits, Cane Toads, camels, donkeys........all imported into Australia, and all of them completely out of control and wreaking absolute havoc 

[Malandro]

They can be right vicious things when they grow up!  I went camping once at Whangamumu (near Whangaruru!) and we were attacked nightly by possums attempting to burrow under the tents looking for our food.

Possums, stoats, rats and domestic cats have wreacked havoc on NZ's bird populations with many species now only found on offshore islands where mammals have been eradicated.    

[Pingu]

Are they seen as pests then?

Very much so. They were introduced to NZ for their fur but inevitably escaped. It's estimated that there are tens of millions of them now. There are certainly a lot squished on the roads.



The pies tasted suspiciously like lamb 

[HTFB]

Their fur makes very warm woolly gloves. That first photo looks as though the possum is warming up for the role. Possibly.

[Noodley]

They are indeed cute little things, but they don't half make a racket if they get in your roof 

Tell me about it   

I worked on a farm near Renmark for a few months and had a possum as a lodger - the first few weeks I got no sleep, then I got used to him.  I also spent a week or so sleeping on the surf club verandha at Coff's Harbour and would encounter loads of various nocturnal mammals when I was making may way along the path towards the beach..what a bloody racket!