THE OPOSSUM.

Shannon News, 29 May 1923, Page 4

THE OPOSSUM.

PROSPECTS OF TRAPPING SEASON

SOME INTERESTING DETAILS. The open season for the trapping of opossums commences on July 2 and lasts until August 11, and there is evidence that this year a large number of trappers will be engaged in what is, at present prices, a. very lucrative business. In connection with the industry which is assuming large proportion in different parts of New i Zealand, notably in the Paraparaumu, Rangitikei and Southland districts, Mr C. H. Bould, a member of the Wellington Acclimatisation Council, supplied a “Chronicle” representative with some interesting information. The opossum, of which there are two varieties, grey and brown, the latter of which is much the more plentiful in New Zealand, were liberated in this country by the Acclimatisation Society 20 years ago, for the purpose of stocking the unproductive forest of the waste places of the country with a harmless fur-bearing animal. A certain amount of capital. Mr Bould explained, has been made by opponents of the opossum out of their fondness for fruit and of the consequent harm they might do to orchardists, but in clear country, he says, they never travel for any distance. He instanced the fact that opossums were liberated at the Game Farm at Paraparaumu, for thirteen years before they made their appearance in the vicinity of the township, which is only two miles away. Furthermore, as they are purely local habitues and remarkably easy to trap, they can easily be cleared out of a plantation or orchard in which they may have made their appearance, when years may elapse before they re-appear. Although the Acclimatisation Department were responsible for the stocking of the Forests, the Forestry Department controls the issue of licenses, and application has to be made to this Department in the first place, for permission to trap. When this is obtained a license, which costs £2 10s for the six weeks’ season, is issued on application to a Post Office. Besides this the Forestry Department claims Is royalty on each skin. In the Wellington district last year 15,000 skins were procured for which agents paid 6s a piece at the railway station, besides paying the Is royalty to the Forestry Department. Auction sales, attended by American, English and other European buyers, are held in Christchurch and Dunedin during the season, and at these, best skins brought up to 25/- each. Last year one party of experienced trappers made £IOO each for the season, and a number of others £SO to £6O.

Most of the skins go to America, and as they take dye excellently and lend themselves readily to faking of different kinds, have become vary popular amongst the fur-dealers. Trapping is dona, with ordinary rabbit traps and cord or wire snares, and although experience is necessary in order to know where to set tne traps, it is not difficult- owing to the extreme stupidity of the opossum. Probably on account of the absence ol natural enemies in Australia, they appear to be utterly devoid of the suspicion and any instinctive knowledge of defensive retreat usually found in wild animals. They live in bunches of kiekie on the branches of trees, and in hollow logs, and are purely nocturnal, being quite dazed if disturbed in the daytime. Like its coun-try-fellow the kangaroo, the female carries her young in a pouch for a time, alter which it transfers to her hack, where it is carried about clinging to the fur. As they only breed once a year and as their family never exceeds one in number, there does not appear to be any danger of them becoming a plague as many imported animals and birds have done.