Possums
#16
Latest Update
Possum went in cage last night, possum man back this morning, it was a mother and her baby. We now have a rather large possum house on our gum tree (looks like overlarge bird box). Mum and baby installed, hopefully to sleep all day today - possibly check out the entry points to our roof tomorrow morning 4.15, hope it cannot get back in. I wish no harm to the possum and hope it is very happy in the new house. I agree totally about the feral cats (horrible beasties), have a friend up Port Stephens way who is very happy to shoot these vermin as often as possible.
So why are you allowed to trap and kill possums in NZ but they are protected in Aus?
Cheers
Possum went in cage last night, possum man back this morning, it was a mother and her baby. We now have a rather large possum house on our gum tree (looks like overlarge bird box). Mum and baby installed, hopefully to sleep all day today - possibly check out the entry points to our roof tomorrow morning 4.15, hope it cannot get back in. I wish no harm to the possum and hope it is very happy in the new house. I agree totally about the feral cats (horrible beasties), have a friend up Port Stephens way who is very happy to shoot these vermin as often as possible.
So why are you allowed to trap and kill possums in NZ but they are protected in Aus?
Cheers
#17










Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 11,149

Possums are not native to NZ. The flora in NZ is like a fruit bowl to a possum compared to the harsh eucalypts of OZ. Hence there are over 80 million of the buggers there. The possums do a lot of damage to the native NZ flora which is why they are considered pests.
Australia and NZ are prime example of why it is dangerous to take animals across continents.
Try and visit Kakadu before the Cane Toads kill all the fauna.
Australia and NZ are prime example of why it is dangerous to take animals across continents.
Try and visit Kakadu before the Cane Toads kill all the fauna.
#18
Y Ddraig Goch








Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 3,722
From: Body is in Brissie. Heart and soul has long flown home.











Originally posted by Nibbs
My brother's place has possum family as sitting tennants.
They turn up at the back door every night at 6.30 to be fed. If the offering is not to their liking they will come into the kitchen and stand on hind legs peering into the fridge!
Unfortunately Mr & Mrs are currently going through a trial separation with mother and child in the roof space (co-habiting with a rather large and bad tempered carpet pyhton).
Mr Possum (aka Bilbo) occassionally forgets why he's in the dog house (actually a horse shed) and attempts to re-kindle the romance. This errupts into an almighty ruck making WWF Smackdown look like a slight argument in a bus queue.
I don't know how long tjis has been hoing on but Bilbo has literally had half his left ear chewed off.
It's all pretty amusing when it's not your house.
My brother's place has possum family as sitting tennants.
They turn up at the back door every night at 6.30 to be fed. If the offering is not to their liking they will come into the kitchen and stand on hind legs peering into the fridge!
Unfortunately Mr & Mrs are currently going through a trial separation with mother and child in the roof space (co-habiting with a rather large and bad tempered carpet pyhton).
Mr Possum (aka Bilbo) occassionally forgets why he's in the dog house (actually a horse shed) and attempts to re-kindle the romance. This errupts into an almighty ruck making WWF Smackdown look like a slight argument in a bus queue.
I don't know how long tjis has been hoing on but Bilbo has literally had half his left ear chewed off.
It's all pretty amusing when it's not your house.
We had one which we called Nick. He was pretty tame. Eat about anything (my pot plants included!... hence the name nick, plus he had a nick in his ear.. probably from a fight) . He used to come right up to the door.. if we had opened it he probably would have strolled right in too like your brothers possums... cheeky thing he was
He wasn't scared of my cats (too big for my cats to hurt him, in fact I have heard that a cat will come off worse. A friend of mine had his cat ripped to shreds by a possum.... dogs kill more possums than cats. and as for koalas... look at the figures. number one killer is cars, number two is dogs, number three is diseases.. they are also too big for a cat to kill) In fact the possum used to come looking for one of my cats (one cat was scared of him, the other used to sit next to the glass and watch him) . Favourite food of theirs were bananas... go wild for them. Easy way to check if you have possums around, put a dish if chopped bananas down... possums can sniff it out for miles.
Personally I enjoy having possums around after all we are in their environment. I'd much rather have possums as neighbours than people

I live in area with koalas (my home backs on to a reserve) .. dogs area real pain in the b*tt when it comes to the koalas around here. In fact dog owners can recieve huge fines in my area if they don't contain their dog when there's a koala on their land (about a $3000 fine)
Easy way to pick up a possum if need be, chuck a thick blanket over them. Or if you want to trap them yourself to move.. get a trap from the RSPCA.
cheers
#19
Originally posted by Nara
(the day got worse when I got in to work and an email from my mum informed me that my 15 year old brother's getting a big toe removed)
(the day got worse when I got in to work and an email from my mum informed me that my 15 year old brother's getting a big toe removed)
That's what you get for living in a different time-zone and not being able to call as soon as you get emails in the morning.
#20
#21
Originally posted by Nara
Was rather unamused after going through 10 hours of imagining my brother going through life with a missing big toe (how would he wear flip-flops? How would girlfriends react? :scared: Would he be able to balance when he's already over 6 foot tall?)...only to find out that my mother had failed to type the word NAIL after the word toe.
That's what you get for living in a different time-zone and not being able to call as soon as you get emails in the morning.
Was rather unamused after going through 10 hours of imagining my brother going through life with a missing big toe (how would he wear flip-flops? How would girlfriends react? :scared: Would he be able to balance when he's already over 6 foot tall?)...only to find out that my mother had failed to type the word NAIL after the word toe.
That's what you get for living in a different time-zone and not being able to call as soon as you get emails in the morning.
Goodness I am so pleased - I did not how to respond yesterday when you stated your brother needed his toe removed.
I was wondering the same things, balance etc. I am now with Diane - LOL so glad it wasn't the whole thing.
#22
I'm very glad too. It would have been awful! I kept imagining what had happened to create the need to remove a toe, that would have to be pretty awful too.
Cheers for your concern, I'm sure little brother would be flattered.
Cheers for your concern, I'm sure little brother would be flattered.
#23
P.S. LOL from me too when I realised the error! My mother should learn the skill of making oneself clear.
#24
Originally posted by renth
I was walking back from the gym at lunchtime and saw a baby parrot that had fallen from it's nest being killed by a big crow.
Now that was disturbing, it ruined my day.
I was walking back from the gym at lunchtime and saw a baby parrot that had fallen from it's nest being killed by a big crow.
Now that was disturbing, it ruined my day.
I was steaming down the Gnangara Road yesterday doing 90k when a pink parrot decided to cross the road, I slammed on my breaks and let him pass safely to the other side. When one is lost, another is saved.
#25
Originally posted by Nara
Not a great story.... but I walk to work in the mornings, and this morning I saw a dead possum on the pavement. Poor thing must only have died last night because it hadn't been scavanged yet. Little thing looked so sweet. It had the most amazing littly grippy feet. I love possums. Sad start to the day.
(the day got worse when I got in to work and an email from my mum informed me that my 15 year old brother's getting a big toe removed)
Not a great story.... but I walk to work in the mornings, and this morning I saw a dead possum on the pavement. Poor thing must only have died last night because it hadn't been scavanged yet. Little thing looked so sweet. It had the most amazing littly grippy feet. I love possums. Sad start to the day.
(the day got worse when I got in to work and an email from my mum informed me that my 15 year old brother's getting a big toe removed)
Oh please don't tell me that this was on North Terrace ??!! On my way home the other night I saw one scavenging on the pavement on North Terrace. I was worried that it would try to bolt across the road to the park and spent about half an hour walking along next to it waiting until it crossed the road so that I could "escort" it across. Eventually it just ran up a tree so I wasted my time.
I'd hate it if it was the same little possum. It did seem very slow though and was eating all kinds of junk that it found lying on the pavement so maybe it was ill.
#26
we once had a couple of possums come flying through the open window during a particularly heavy thunder storm - frightened the life out of us (and ruined the night of passion!!!!!!!)
mental note; close window during storms...................'specially if its ''one of those nights''!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
sue
mental note; close window during storms...................'specially if its ''one of those nights''!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
sue
#27
Originally posted by Sunlover
Oh please don't tell me that this was on North Terrace ??!! On my way home the other night I saw one scavenging on the pavement on North Terrace. I was worried that it would try to bolt across the road to the park and spent about half an hour walking along next to it waiting until it crossed the road so that I could "escort" it across. Eventually it just ran up a tree so I wasted my time.
I'd hate it if it was the same little possum. It did seem very slow though and was eating all kinds of junk that it found lying on the pavement so maybe it was ill.
Oh please don't tell me that this was on North Terrace ??!! On my way home the other night I saw one scavenging on the pavement on North Terrace. I was worried that it would try to bolt across the road to the park and spent about half an hour walking along next to it waiting until it crossed the road so that I could "escort" it across. Eventually it just ran up a tree so I wasted my time.
I'd hate it if it was the same little possum. It did seem very slow though and was eating all kinds of junk that it found lying on the pavement so maybe it was ill.
I'm surprised a possum was so brazen to eat from the road, they're normally so shy, probably was ill. Ah well, everything has to die at some point, just a shame if it was hit by a car and not succuming to old age.
#28
Originally posted by Nara
Sunlover, I don't think it was your possum, I saw it in the parklands near the Womens and Childrens, just near Finniss St.
I'm surprised a possum was so brazen to eat from the road, they're normally so shy, probably was ill. Ah well, everything has to die at some point, just a shame if it was hit by a car and not succuming to old age.
Sunlover, I don't think it was your possum, I saw it in the parklands near the Womens and Childrens, just near Finniss St.
I'm surprised a possum was so brazen to eat from the road, they're normally so shy, probably was ill. Ah well, everything has to die at some point, just a shame if it was hit by a car and not succuming to old age.
Thanks for that Nara, I hope "my" possum was just tame and used to humans (and their food) rather than ill. !
#29
Originally posted by Sandra
Latest Update
Possum went in cage last night, possum man back this morning, it was a mother and her baby. We now have a rather large possum house on our gum tree (looks like overlarge bird box). Mum and baby installed, hopefully to sleep all day today - possibly check out the entry points to our roof tomorrow morning 4.15, hope it cannot get back in. I wish no harm to the possum and hope it is very happy in the new house. I agree totally about the feral cats (horrible beasties), have a friend up Port Stephens way who is very happy to shoot these vermin as often as possible.
So why are you allowed to trap and kill possums in NZ but they are protected in Aus?
Cheers
Latest Update
Possum went in cage last night, possum man back this morning, it was a mother and her baby. We now have a rather large possum house on our gum tree (looks like overlarge bird box). Mum and baby installed, hopefully to sleep all day today - possibly check out the entry points to our roof tomorrow morning 4.15, hope it cannot get back in. I wish no harm to the possum and hope it is very happy in the new house. I agree totally about the feral cats (horrible beasties), have a friend up Port Stephens way who is very happy to shoot these vermin as often as possible.
So why are you allowed to trap and kill possums in NZ but they are protected in Aus?
Cheers
MM




