AREA FOR OPOSSUMS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5470, 4 September 1929, Page 3

AREA FOR OPOSSUMS.

THE COROMANDEL PENINSULA.

(By

D. Leach.)

Eighteen years ago the Ohinemuri Acclimatisation Club secured 12 black opossums from the Wellington district in order to stock the large areas of bush country lying between Waitekauri and Te Aroha. The club believed the country. suitable, especially because the land would never be suitable for farming. It selected Dicky’s Flat, three miles above Karangahake, as the most suitable spot for liberation on the southern side of the Waitawheta River.

Eight years afterwards reports from bushmen and sportsmen showed a steady increase in their number, until to-day opossums are plentiful over the whole of the Waitawheta and Maungakina valleys. They are also in evidence on the northern side of Waitawheta from Karangahake to Waikino.

Following a report from an experienced trapper who inspected the country towards the end of June of this year, the club made inquiries in order to obtain permission for trapping. It was discovered that the best part of the area had already been allotted to a party. The Conservator of Forests then sent down a representative, who went ‘.horoughly into the matter, and on July 8 areas were allotted and licenses granted to eight trappers. Considering that the season was then half over the rtappers did exceedingly well a total of 546 skins being secured. Some of the skins brought as much as 25s each, while some ranged as low as 4s. This list is exclusive of the catches made by the first party mentioned

The writer had a personal interview with the first party (eight trappers) and obtained the following particulars : Ninety-five per cent, of the does carried one young each, with the exception of two, one of these having two young in the pouch and the other having one in the pouch and one on its back. The average age of the young was stated as being six weeks. In the case where the doe had two young, the elder was five months old. This points to the assumption that the opossum breeds twice in the year. One party reports that every doe caught carried young.

AU the trappers state that opossums are ir. large numbers, and that the area held by the other party contained even greater numbers than the areas in which they trapped. They are most plentiful at feeding time on the ridges, especially where the country lies to the sun, and appear to retire to the gullies to sleep. Ridges on which the tawa tree predominates are not favourable. The opossums caught were in fine condition, the does being very fat. One of the dealers to whom skins were sold stated that the skins showed evidence of fat above normal. The skms taken at the end of the season were superior to those taken earlier, the latter being patchy and uneven in the fur. The catches also were better during the last week, one party securing 34 skins during the last three days. The trappers are unanimous in their opinion that the season should open a month later at least. The representative of a firm who visited the locality and bought skins on the ground also gave expression to the same opinion.

One party secured four steel martins, for which they received 17s 6d. Had the number been larger they would have brought 255. Prices ranged from 4s to 255, and averaged 10s 6d. While visiting the brokers in Auckland the trappers saw skins which were poor in condition owing to faulty pegging. They suggest that the Forestry Department might issue instructions and advice on this matter to trappers, in order that full value may be obtained for all skins. In conclusion, the Ohinemuri Acclimatisation Club is of the opinion that the question of stocking the Coromandel peninsula from Te Aroha to Cape Colville with, opossums should be investigated for the following reasons : The territory, which embraces a strip of country 100 miles long by 10 miles wide, is more suitable for raising opossums ; the return from opossum fur after proper establishment would give a return at least five times as great as that resulting from either sheep or dairy farming ; whereas, if the land is cleared and grassed, the cost of which would run to at least £5 per acre at a low estimate, opossum rearing and stocking would entail an exceedingly small expenditure ; the native bush would be preserved for future generations ; the outlook for fur is decidedly better than that for butter and wool ; the State would derive revenue from a vast area of nonproductive land ; and the industry would afford lucrative employment for hundreds of men dating the slackest period of the year.