MALIGNED OPOSSUM.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 30 September 1924, Page 8

MALIGNED OPOSSUM.

REPORTS OP FOREST DAMAGE

IMAGINATION—NOT FACT,

FORESTER’S INVESTIGATION. During the last two and a half years considerable time has been devoted' upon the investigation of the opossum, more partieulary in its relation to the forests of New Zealand, and also to a certain extent to other interests which might be affected. In a progress report of the investigations Mr. A. N. Perliam,, forest assistant, of the State Forest'Service, states that since, the opening of the present trapping season —three months approximately—l 23 carcases of trapped animals have been subjected to post-mortem examination and the stomach closely examined for the purpose of deciding the nature and variety of the food eaten. While the investigations have not been entirely completed, and taking into consideration the numbers of rash, and seemingly untrue and unfounded statements made to the detriment of the 'opossum, Mr. Perliam thought it desirable to place on record such facts and conclusions arrived at. In the light of subsequent investigation it might be necessai'v to modify these conclusions, but it was not expected that modification would materially alter their bearing upon the national economicstanding of the oppossum.

In the first instance it was assumed that the opossum, being an animal wh,ich lived entirely in and upon the forest, must do some damage to the forest, and possibly be in some degree detrimental ,to its welfare and to any process of silviculture which might be adopted. The line of investigation had been to find such damage, to dpteiv mine its extent and effect, and to determine a basis of balance between the opossum and the forest, if such were possible, or in the event of the damage being of such, magnitude that the welfare of the forest was threatened, to discover the best means of control or elimination.

So far the investigation had not been very fruitful; in fact, only one instance of extensive bark biting had been found, and in this case, while biting of major species was found it was not extensive or , sufficiently deep to have any deleterious effect, all that of any .extension in specific instances being confined to ephemeral species. Concrete instances of widespread damage, of which much has been heard, Mr. Perliam had not found, and lie now believes them to exist more in imagination than in.fact. After considering everything he was convinced that statements made which placed the opossum as a factor to be seriously reckoned with in the elimination, more particularly, of native bird life, were founded on slender foundation. Further, Mr. Perham was convinced that compared with the ravages of rats and cats, etc., the opossum as an agency in such, was a very jiuny thing, and why those other agencies apparently, received little attention, while the opossum received much, was a matter he could not •understand. Possibly the‘-latter being an animal of considerable commercial value was more in the limelight than the others, and consequently received more attention.

There was in the Dominion some millions of acres of forest lands far removed from orchard areas or f rom lands likely to bo used for such purposes. Those forest labels, either from their inaccessibility or from, the fact that they contained too little merchantable timber to- ever become a commercial timber proposition, could be utilised in no apparent manner so that they Avould produce revenue and still be kept intact, excepting that they be utilised as a propagating and harvesting ground for the opossum. The conversion of this forest-clad land from a nonproductive capacity to one producing at least some hundreds of pounds by such means, it was, to Mr. Perliam’s mind, a matter of some importance and should be undertaken.