Opossums in chimney

Press, 28 June 1983, Page 20

Opossums in chimney

Sir,—l have always held a certain admiration for the work done by Mr Baggstrom saving injured birds on behalf of the Avian Welfare Society. However, his latest effort (“The Press,” June 20) leaves me mystified. The release of the two opossums was not only illegal, being unwanted, introduced noxious animals, but misguided. The damage done by the opossum to our native bush in competition with our native bird life (not to mention the occasional meal of eggs and fledglings) has done more harm to our endangered species than an army of schoolboys with airguns could ever hope to do.—Yours, etc., C. BRYANT. June 21, 1983.

[Mr Baggstrom replies: “Man was never ordained to trespass against the privilege granted by the Creator. I certainly have not the ethical right to willingly destroy any life. Though, in the course of dealing and caring for sick and injured wild creatures one has to make the decision to kill them humanely. When I have to do this I am alone. Alone I curse my ignorance and acknowledge that once more I have proven to myself that I am a failure. Your Telethon is based on the theme of the helping hand. My hand went out to help an elderly lady who needed a helping hand. She did not want her unwelcome guests killed. There is little doubt that they will not enjoy their freedom for long. Perhaps they will become targets for poison, bullet or starvation. They were released where there are other possums among another of our mistakes, a place where only introduced birds struggle for survival in our precarious habitat. To your correspondent let me say through June E. Bush’s words: ‘Sometimes I know what my life’s all about... I know what lam... and there’s no room for doubt. I listen to the sounds of a whispering spring, And I know that I’m just part of earth’s living things’.”]