DEMAND FOR OPUSSUMS

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15751, 18 November 1916, Page 13

DEMAND FOR OPUSSUMS

♦ ■ - ■ SUGGESTED NEW INDUSTRY. The matter of opossums was before the executive of the Auckland Acclimatisation Society at its meeting on Tuesday night. Several applications were received for the animals. One writer on the subject said he contemplated starting an industry, and thought he c-ould rear opossums in closc confinement. As for the grey opossums,- he felt sorry for the little' animals, "which could easily be prevented from eating fruit. If the farmer only knew their value he would look upon them as a second asset.

Another writer suggested the liberation of black opossums in suitable areas for the benefit of returned soldiers. The president, Mr It. Reynolds, said the Society should see that the opossums were only distributed where they could do no harm. There were any amount of places in » New Zealand, where there were no orchards, _ where they could, be liberated. Nothing could be better vfor returned soldiers than to go on to the back bush districts and get these valuable skins. Why should the people be debarred from such a chance by those who declared they would shoot all the opossums they saw? There were opossums in tho Takapuna district near orchards and they never touched the fruit. Mr H. JH. Ostler remarked that it showed tie ignorance of objectors when it was remembered that black opossums had been in existence in New Zealand since ISSB. Mr C. A. Whitney said there were some opossums in the Mount Eden district, and the secretary, Mr S. Stuart, said he had heard of them in St. Mary's Bav. . The applications were reterred to the Game Committee.