Conservation experts say they are concerned about reports of pest species, including possums, being kept as pets in the Wellington region, endangering the biodiversity that local government and communities work hard to preserve.
Greater Wellington Regional Council says it is aware of small numbers of people taking possums into their homes and keeping them as pets.
“Possums pose a serious threat to native birds and plants. No one in the community should consider them pets. Domesticated possums may escape and destroy wildlife and keeping them undermines our broader conservation efforts,” said Council manager of environment operations, Myfanwy Hill.
“We work hard to ensure native flora and fauna can thrive and be protected from pests such as possums. When they are kept as pets it puts the health of our eco-systems seriously at risk.”
Greater Wellington’s Regional Pest Management Plan (RPMP) provides the strategic direction for managing pest plants and animals in the region for the next 20 years. It is a connected approach to protecting key native ecosystems in the region and plans for collaboration with other organisations and communities for a better future.
Predator Free Wellington has been hugely successful in recent years, eliminating pests from the Miramar Peninsula and is making substantial progress in the next phase of its work, moving westward into the city.
Predator Free Wellington Project Director, James Willcocks says communities have been integral to the success which should not be undone by a handful of people trying to make pets out of pests.
“People keeping possums as pets could deal a major blow to the hard work of so many in our communities over decades,” says Mr Willcocks.
“Possums damage our trees, eat birds’ eggs and can spread tuberculosis. With Greater Wellington we’ve made great strides, removing possums from our region, so we ask that people look at the bigger picture, instead of trying to domesticate pests.”
Sightings of rats, stoats, weasels or possums in Miramar, Kilbirnie, Lyall Bay, Rongotai, Hataitai or Mt Victoria can be reported to Predator Free Wellingtonopen_in_new.
