What you say is possible, but my understanding is that the law isn't very
old (a decade or two) and was put in place because of concern for the
welfare of the possums being moved, rather than concern for where they're
being moved to. If you move them to a place where there are possums, the
new possum has a very high mortality. I guess if you relocated the possum
in suitable habitat where there were none, some damage could occur
(although I think it's both unlikely that such places exist within driving
distance of urban Australia, or that damage would occur, given that habitat
destruction and fragmentation is the probable cause of such pockets
existing anyway). On the other hand, I know that efforts to restore
forests in the midlands of Tasmania faced serious problems with possums
eating the new saplings, which can be an issue in forestry operations as
well. However I doubt many people would drive that far to release possums,
and people in those kinds of places tend to just shoot them (with or
without permit).
Jeremy
On Wed, Sep 5, 2012 at 8:39 AM, Peter Shute <> wrote:
> It's true that the death of one urban possum might cause little or no
> environmental damage, but if the rule is changed to allow that then
> thousands will be moved. Won't overpopulation at their destinations cause
> damage?
>
> Peter Shute
>
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: [birding-aus-
> > On Behalf Of Jeremy O'Wheel
> >Sent: Tuesday, 4 September 2012 8:40 PM
> >To: Richard King
> >Cc:
> >Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Possum trapping and releasing
> >
> >As I recall, the reason for this law is that it's been found that
> >possums
> >released a significant distance from their territory have a very high
> >rate
> >of mortality, although I doubt there is any evidence of environmental
> >damage as a result of that death.
> >
> >Jeremy
> >
> >
> >
> >On Tue, Sep 4, 2012 at 8:01 PM, Richard King <>
> >wrote:
> >
> >> Tell me if I understand this wrong, that you can only release a possum
> >> basically on your property or have a 'pest controller' deal with them
> >(who
> >> won't release it somewhere else)? If that's the case, this 'Landscape
> >> Woman'(and anyone else doing it), deserves a medal!
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Richard King
> >>
> >>
> >>
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