In
Sydney’s “Northern Beaches” area, we have three kinds of possum the “Common
Brushtail”, which prefers to live in tree hollows formed by mature eucalypts,
the smaller “Ringtail”, which generally builds its own nest (called a drey) out
of twigs and leaves and the tiny endangered Eastern Pygmy Possum, listed as
“vulnerable in NSW. These cute marsupials are vestiges of the incredible rich
diversity of wildlife that was here prior to European colonisation. A
fascinating glimpse of what once existed can be found in the Natural History
Museum’s First Fleet Artwork Collection (Port Jackson Paintings, Flora and
fauna). Here we can see long lost
inhabitants such as the Potoroo, Dingo, Yellow Bellied Glider, Marsupial Mice,
Emu and the now totally extinct White Footed Tree Rat.
Even until fairly recently we still had small
remnant populations of Platypus and Koalas on the Northern Beaches that
eventually couldn’t cope with city living any longer and gradually disappeared. Miraculously, Possums are still here, as a
living reminder of our wilder past, despite being vilified by some. (Perhaps
there’s a fur envy thing going on?) Possums, being nocturnal, are active at
night, which accounts for their protruding eyes and shy disposition. The
greatest enemies of the Possum are the cat and the car. So please, drive
carefully and keep your moggie in at night. The average domestic cat kills 25
native animals a year and even if a captured possum seems unharmed, it is
likely to die within 36 hours from shock or from toxins carried in the cat’s
saliva.
If you find an injured possum please call Sydney
Wildlife’s Rescue Hot line on 9413 4300 or WIRES on 1300 094 73 Sydney Wildlife website |
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The Brushtail Possum (a
protected species in NSW)
To make a Possum feel
really at home, why not locate a nesting box in your own backyard? Ask Sydney
Wildlife or WIRES for details or Google “Possum Box Design” to find a plan and
make your own.
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