Possum rescue

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

Last night when I arrived home, I received a call from our rescue coordinator and I took it on. There was a Brush-tailed Possum in need of care. Big wound as she described it on the phone. When I arrived at the local rowing club, nothing could prepare me for what I had to deal with. It's not human afflicted, but the result of territorial fighting. The wound was that infected, it had maggots in it, it was living flesh and stunk like a rotting corpse. Made me physically ill. Needless to say, this poor fellow, as much as it was in shock and pain, was sent to Possum Heaven. There is simply nothing that could have been done. It was too far down the hill. :( Apologies for the IQ of the image (and poster I guess, at times). Taken with my phone at the vets, before the final farewell. The wound was easily 3" across and 1 1/2" deep.

[denise ippolito]

Akos, That is heartbreaking to see. I am glad he was put out of his misery. So sad!!

[Axel Hildebrandt]

I'm sorry that you couldn't help the little guy anymore, the wound does look nasty. :(

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

Yes, heartbreaking is a good word.
Axel, the smell....... it stunk out my car. But that's not a problem as he is in a better place now. :)

[Grace Scalzo]

I have to think of the discomfort and pain that the poor creature was in. Thankfully you could speed up his end.

[Christopher C.M. Cooke]

If it makes you feel better Akos, in the last week I put twelve feral cats to sleep (.222 Rem tablets) on my friends property near Yea, which makes 57 so far this year.

Unfortunately we also now have to deal with feral dogs which are harder to deal with as they hunt in packs at night but we have trapped and killed 4 so far, very nasty creatures.

The cat situation is out of hand and I fear for our bird and marsupials in the future.

I have a pair of Brush tails living in my roof and I have been able to hand feed them for some years now (with gloves)

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

I have a pair of Brush tails living in my roof and I have been able to hand feed them for some years now (with gloves)

please just ensure you don't overfeed them to get used to human presence and make them dependent on handouts. Perhaps a few small pieces of fruits/vegetables (but only few, not all I list at once) I'd suggest, any of the below.

apple
pear
kiwi
banana (they love this)
carrot
kumara (sweet potato)
grapes

[Christopher C.M. Cooke]

Thanks Akos for the advice mate but I have been a Volunteer with the RSPCA for 26 years as well as being a part of the native animal rescue and relocation team and a registered injured native animal shelter.

Our possums, both types, are fed only when cats are a problem in our area at night and the brush tails cost me a fortune in fruit, their favorite fare being, apple with peanut butter.

Cats in my garden at night are discouraged using an air rifle with candle wax pellets of if I find dead natives, lead pellets.

The ring tails will come and sit in my lap and frequently come over even with young on their backs or bellies and the Brushies own the back garden when it suits them and have become very friendly but I still wear gloves.

[Ákos Lumnitzer]

Thanks Akos for the advice mate but I have been a Volunteer with the RSPCA for 26 years as well as being a part of the native animal rescue and relocation team and a registered injured native animal shelter.

Our possums, both types, are fed only when cats are a problem in our area at night and the brush tails cost me a fortune in fruit, their favorite fare being, apple with peanut butter.

Cats in my garden at night are discouraged using an air rifle with candle wax pellets of if I find dead natives, lead pellets.

The ring tails will come and sit in my lap and frequently come over even with young on their backs or bellies and the Brushies own the back garden when it suits them and have become very friendly but I still wear gloves.

Sorry Chris for suggesting. I am total wildlife virgin myself in comparison to you. I should not dare open my big mouth. I think it is a brilliant way to handle animals on our laps, getting them used processed human foods and company. Way to go. :D

[Christopher C.M. Cooke]

Sorry Chris for suggesting. I am total wildlife virgin myself in comparison to you. I should not dare open my big mouth. I think it is a brilliant way to handle animals on our laps, getting them used processed human foods and company. Way to go.

It's OK mate, I am weaning them off Mackas, and KFC and trying to get them on to Poppas Pizza and Coco Pops and have enrolled them into the Gym. :D this of course also protects our native birds as they do not rob then destroy our bird feeders (yes hungry possums can decimate native bird life as well}:(

We had a large problem here (in the green pastures of urban Melbourne) with wealthy neighbours killing our native wildlife (electrified wires over fences, barbed wire traps in trees) in order to protect that vitally important species "Rose Ornamentals" the buds of which I am sure you know are like lobster to Trichosurus vulpecula and Pseudocheirus peregrinus.We also have another problem that I am sure you are aware of an that is of the preponderance of our old friend Vulpes vulpes and at present Melbourne has the largest urban fox population on Earth.

With our work we have ensured a stable and healthy native animal population in our suburb and are working with other groups to try to change the attitude to them in other suburbs and Municipalities.

Our group of aging volunteers is also working on educating them in non lethal methods of protecting their beautiful flowers and fruit trees, with a varying degree of success, which has included the prosecution of a Supreme Court Judge for trapping and killing possums.

So old chap we are doing our bit to avoid having to catch all these pesky possums and as our past criminal history dictates, then deporting these irascible marsupial menaces to the far off shores of other antipodean islands such as New Zealand, for which we can expect scant thanks.


I hope this has helped you understand our treatment of these little natives in our urban situation in the civilized South.:)



http://www.kcc.org.nz/pests/possum.asp


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