Pest Inquiry
Description
We chose the possum as our pest inquiry, we chose the possum because it’s a species that is killing kiwis and other native birds.
The possum has a thick, bushy tail, thick body fur, a pointed snout and large, pointed ears. There are two colour forms of the species - grey and black, with many variations in appearance. Possums can walk, jump and bound and its prehensile tail helps it move around tree branches. During the day, possums sleep in dens—in thickets of gorse, flax and scrub, among the roots of trees, in dead trunks and logs, in the burrows of other animals (such as kiwi) and even in the ceilings of buildings.
Possum eating a native bird’s egg.
Habitat
Possums are nocturnal and can live anywhere where there is shelter and a variety of food supply. They are now widespread across most of New Zealand. The main habitat is forest, and possum densities can be particularly high in podocarp-broadleaf forests. While possums prefer deciduous woodlands with nearby sources of water - like streams or swamps - they are extremely adaptable and succeed in a variety of habitats and climates. The most important elements in a possum's home range are food, water and shelter
Why are they Consider a pest
Possums are a threat to our forests and native wildlife because they eat leaves, flowers, leaf buds, fruit, eggs, birds, insects and snails, therefore they are damaging our native forests and birds. People used to think that possums only ate plants. But in 1993 possums were filmed eating the eggs and chicks of endangered kōkako. Now they are considered a pest. The thing that is most concerning is that they eat kiwi eggs which is a species already so close to being extinct. Another reason is because possums eat the same food that native birds rely on the food available for native fauna is reduced. Less food means reduced breeding success for native birds and insects. Possum competition and predation can also cause bird populations to decline.
When they arrived in New Zealand
The possums' life in New Zealand began when they were introduced for the fur trade in 1837 from Australia (where they are a protected species). In their native land, possums fit in with the ecosystem where they are threatened by dingoes, bush fires and less vegetation for dinner to stop population numbers from soaring. There are about 30 million possums in New Zealand today, which is a huge number.
What impacts does the possum species have on its food web?
Possums like to eat the flowers of native trees. This means that they are eating the food of our nectar feeding native birds such as the tui, bellbirds and kokako. ... Possums disturb nesting birds and sometimes eat the eggs, chicks, and even adult native birds.Possum’s favourite food is Eucalyptus leaves – they are the Ringtail. They, and Brushtails, also eat flowers, fruits and veggies.
What is being done to reduce possum numbers in the Bay of Plenty?
Shooting:
Shooting helps to maintain low possum numbers. Every person who is shooting must either hold a firearms licence, or be under the supervision of a person who holds a firearms licence. You should inform your neighbours of where and when you intend to be shooting.When night shooting, ensure your spotlight battery is fully charged and you know the area well. Make sure you positively identify your target before shooting. For example, the ‘eye-shine’ of possums and rabbits is red-pink, while the ‘eye-shine’ of sheep and cattle is yellow-green. Note that repeated night shooting in the same area may become less effective, as possums can become shy of light and guns. And the benefit of shooting is that hunters can collect the fur
Trapping:
There are several different types of trap available.
These are some;
Leg-hold traps(gin) – don’t kill but animals captured animals and must legally be checked within 12 hours after sunrise. These traps are not allowed to be used in urban areas (city) because other household pets can be caught, for example my cat got caught in a gin trap and now he has a deformed paw.
– this trap does kill captured animals and can be a safe and effective method of removing possums from backyards or forests.
Live capture traps – don’t kill captured animals and must legally be checked within 12 hours after sunrise.
To improve your catch rate, use a ‘lure’ to attract possums to your traps. Make your own ‘lure’ by mixing oil essences and powdered spices (such as cinnamon, curry powder) with five parts flour and one part icing sugar to sprinkle around traps.
We think that out of all these traps, the best one is the one that kills the possum straight away, unlike the one that catches the possum alive, after it got caught it can get a bit messy killing it, unlike the possum trap that just kills them straight away. The thing is that the trap that catches them alive can be a bit easier if you want to use these in a forest, and for just backyards the one that kills them straight away is better.
Conclusion
Possums are destroying our environment and soon if this doesn't stop all our native birds and are going to be in danger of extinction. This means that we all have to put some effort in things like trapping and hunting for pests that are a danger to our environment. Possums also don’t only eat our native birds’ eggs, they also eat leaves off our native trees. So let's keep the good work up and keep trying to keep New Zealand pest free.
Predator Free 2050 is an ambitious goal to rid New Zealand of the most damaging introduced predators that threaten our nation’s natural taonga, our economy and primary sector. The DOC (Department of Conservation) is working hard to get this goal achieved and we all should help by simply putting even a possum trap in our backyard.
Bibliography
https://www.boprc.govt.nz/media/29239/PestAnimal-090526-PA10.pdf
https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/pests-and-threats/animal-pests/possums/