THE IMPORTED PEST.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 210, 5 September 1928, Page 6

THE IMPORTED PEST.

Acclimatisers of this, that and the other foreign animal potential pests have been a curse to New Zealand. If we except—besides, of course, farm animals—the trout which stock our lakes and streams, the net result of the activities of acclimatisation societies and private enthusiasts for exotic creatures has been an undesirable, in some cases ruinous, interference with indigenous fauna and flora. And despite a lately-aroused public sense of regard for our native forest and bird life, the evil craze has not been killed.

The latest suggestion in acclimatisation is that muskrats should be introduced from Canada for the sake of their pelts. It seems extraordinary that such a proposal should be made, yet it has been put forward in a Wellington paper, and ; probably we shall hear presently that the Government has been approached to permit the experiment. The cool proposal is made that the muski rat persons should be given, to begin with, one |of our small islands on which the rat from Canada could be tried out, so to speak, before being liberated on the mainland. Of course, provided the island were small enough, even a boa constrictor or a rattlesnake could not do much harm. It is on the mainland that the trouble would begin. The champions of the muskrat incidentally mention the usefulness of "foxes and other valuable fur bearers"; so that we may expect presently to hear of other creatures besides the rat being introduced to make New Zealand feel more like America. By a coincidence it happened that just after reading of the benefits of importing Canadian rats and foxes I noticed in a Massachusetts periodical devoted to beautiful homes and gardens a reference to the muskrat as the flower grower i knows it. Gardens near a stream or a pool are a happy hunting ground for the creature, which has developed a taste for bulbs, especially the more valuable ones, a flower grower angrily declares. It is an assiduous burrower and its favourite food is usually the gardener's most beloved treasure. The raids 011 gardens, however, would probably be the least of the muskrat's depredations in a country like New Zealand. Our experience with the opossum ought to be a sufficient warning. Ihe muskrat-fox notion is evidently put forward by those interested in the fur trade, who have no more regard for the native life of the forest than they have for the orchard or the garden. I here is happily ground for hope that the Government authorities would not hesitate long before vetoing the proposal. The fur trappers want opossums liberated in all our "unstocked" forest areas, even 111 the Urewera Country, but the protests of those who have concern for the protection of native forest and bird cannot be disregarded. Though the blunders, and worse, of the acclimatisation societies have been many, they cannot be accused of this latest proposal. " Their concern has been for the promotion of sport; this I* 1 , notllin £ b "t financial profit behind .\ he trade ,n miserable furs. The bringing of the opossum was the thin end of the wedgeit opened the way for other bright notions. A Canadian visitor said not long ago that it would be a charming idea to introduce beaver to our tfon fW th r and V Th6 * mUfikrat advocates menthe Canadian fur-farming industry now includes, besides fox. the mink and lynx and future hpf , Clp u arl y the re is a remarkable future before our bush and back country if we are to take Canada as a pattern. j q