TRAINED OPOSSUMS

Northern Advocate, 14 June 1935, Page 5

TRAINED OPOSSUMS

permit for destruction ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY’S OPPOSITION [Per Press Association.— -Copyright.! WELLINGTON, This Day. Opposition to the granting of a permit to destroy opossums, which were alleged to have broken ornaments and torn the' wallpaper in a house and damaged a garden, was voiced at a meeting of the council of the Wellinglon Acclimatisation Society. A member said the occupant had iiained several opossums to come out of the bush and be fed. as an attraction to his refreshment establishment at the summit of the Rimutakas. The animals were regarded as pets. “If a man will deliberately tame wild creatures and get them to come into his house, and then wants to slaughter them, all I can say is that it goes very much against one’s sense of fairness and consideration for these little creatures, which have been taught to trust him,” said Mr. W. G. Wohlmann, Commissioner of Police. It was reported that the Department of Internal Affairs had granted a month’s permit. The council decided that a deputation take the matter up further with the Department, with a view to having the permit withdrawn, gQ ihcit the opossums could be snared and removed to other territory.