possums; a new zealand pest

just a quick post about possums in new zealand.

possums in new zealand are "Brushtail possums, introduced from Australia in the 1850s to establish an animal fur industry (big mistake), and now number an estimated 60 - 70 million in New Zealand. The damage they cause is both environmental and financial: they prey on eggs and chicks of native birds and on native insects, damage native forests and spread bovine Tb, posing an immense threat to dairy and beef industries." quoted from here
brushtail possums are different from north american opossums.
they are hunted in the wild, it is illegal to farm them in nz. the fur from the possums varies according to area and time of year, and is quality selected for specific end uses.

if anyone wants to find out more, google possum nz and heaps of products will come up or possum nz impact will find more factual info.
here is the information provided by WoolYarns (who provided the zealana and perino yarns and possum merino fibre for the dresses)

every possum that is eradicated from our forests makes a difference.