The Possum Story

The New Zealand brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) was introduced from Australia to New Zealand in 1837 to establish a fur industry, largely with government sanction. However, the fur trade died out in the 1900s and the possum population exploded. It is now estimated that there are up to 60 million brushtail possums in New Zealand consuming 21 thousand tons of vegetation nightly.

Australian plants often have defences against possums, such as spines, prickle or poisonous leaves, but New Zealand plants do not. The possums thrive on indigenous trees like the pohutakawa, rata, totara, kowhai and kohekohe. They compete with other animals for food, thus contributing to the decline of rare plants, birds and animals. They defoliate trees so that forest canopies are weakened and susceptible to climatic extremes and attack by pathogens and insects.

The New Zealand government began possum control operations in the late 1940s. The government currently invests $NZ58 million per year to control possums.