IDENTIFYING OPOSSUMS

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 996, 12 June 1930, Page 18

IDENTIFYING OPOSSUMS

PUZZLE ON RANGITOTO Tho Rangitoto Domain Board was confronted, last evening, with the problem of how it could identify opossums inhabiting the area under the control of the board from those in the 48 acres of the island which the Harbour Board owns. This puzzle was propounded by the caretaker of the Harbour Board quarry on the island, who applied for a licence to trap opossums, as he was proposing “to set traps for rats and might accidentally catch an opossum.” Opossums may not be trapped without a licence and, on Rangitoto Domain, the issue of licences is a perquisite of the Domain Board, which in some years has received £BO from it. There is always a number of trappers seeking licences. The board members wanted to know how the animals could be prevented from going into the Harbour Board area and being trapped there. Mr. J. Hislop, the chairman: 1 do not know what we can do. unless we brand all those on the Domain Board’s area. The applicant ,was advised that the board could not give him a licence, as the quarry area, was not controlled by board.