Possum facts and control tips
Brushtail possums are marsupials that were introduced from Australia in the 1800s to establish a fur trade. They pose a serious threat to our forests and native wildlife by destroying plants and birds’ nests, eating birds’ eggs and invertebrates, and competing with other species for food. How did they get here? Possums were first introduced in 1837 because some early European settlers were hoping to establish a fur industry. Those animals did not survive, but people kept trying. The first possum population to survive was in Southland in 1858. In 1921 the Government made it illegal to bring any more possums into New Zealand. It was too late; by then, they were already spread across the country. In 1946, possums were officially declared a pest in the New Zealand environment. By 1950 they were found in over half of New Zealand and they kept spreading. Possum spread from 1850 – 1990 in New Zealand. Image credit Landcare Research Ltd. Fiordland and Northland were the last areas of mainland ...