THE ILL-FATED OPOSSUM.

Otago Witness, Issue 3098, 30 July 1913, Page 38

THE ILL-FATED OPOSSUM.

WAR OF EXTERMINATION. (From Our Own Correspondent.) INVERCARGILL. July 21. A representative of the Southland Times recently visited Cairn Bush, in the back country between Wyndharn and Mokoreta, a locality in which during the past 20 years the opossum has thriven. He made a firsthand investigation into the war of extermination which is being waged on the opossum by trappers, and came to the conclusion that thousands of the marsupials have been killed. , In the course of his investigations the re-porter met in the opossum country a Mr E. 0. Govan, who is a furrier and trapper. Ho was much perturbed at the attitude taken up by the settlers, and gave it as his opinion that it would be foolish to restore the protection. It was, he said, his intention, if the protection was not restored, to purchase the right to trap the whole of the Cairn Bush next winter, and employ a dozen men trapping. Ho argued that the opossum was never likely to be a more valuable national asset than it was to-day, and said that if they were ultimately to bo killed there was no time like the present. Mr Govuu had something to say about the removal of the protection, and if lus statements are true it would appear that the protection was removed at the instance of a very interested party. Speaking of the CaHiiis Bush, he said that he had held a section there and hud trapped over it. There were fully 400 trappers in the bush during last winter. Questioned as to whether ho knew anything which would throw light upon the removal of the protection, he made a surprising statement. As an interested party, and one who wished to see the fur industry developed, lie had when resident in Gatlins, communicated with Ministers and members of Parliament requesting that “this absurd protection” he removed''. The letter was unanswered, and finally when he lost patience he took it upon' himself to send urgent reply telegrams to three Ministers, and to the member for Clutha, demanding on behalf of the residents of Gatlins that the protection be removed. Shortly afterwards ho received word that the protection was to bo removed, and ho ai once bought all the skins it was possible to buy. He hinted that the speculation had been by no means unprofitable. The settlers are agreed that a three months’ open season and nine months’ clo-e season would have no greater benefits than the protection of prescribed areas, for tiio reason that both would perpetuate poaching. Thev say that with the three months season the trappers would take opuspUms all the year round and sell them during the ovieu season, while with protected areas thev could simply assert that they came front other busies than those which were protected. What is suggested is that there should be three or four years of protection applied generally, and t hen one open season. Over which months this open season should extend would have to be a matter of careful and expert study, because there appears to be a great deal of doubt regarding the breeding season, 'fhe trappers in tin 1 Plopedow.il Bush say that all the females caught are in the same stage of pregnancy aIK l° a , e carrying young in their pouches. Tie- reporter who visited the camp saw ample evidence that this is the case. It is aho contended that the skins are more valuable '.ben than at any time during the year,

and if this is the case the greatest incentive to kill is held out when the opossums are most in need of protection. As the skinning goes on the young are removed from the pouches and thrown indifferently on to a neap apart from the other carcases. They aro of absolutely no use, and the taking of one skin therefore means the death of two opossums.