Possums A Pain In The Park For Dog Owners

[SkySoaringMagpie]

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/possums-...0122-1a0ow.html

DOG owners in Melbourne’s inner north are on possum alert, fearing fines of almost $5000 every time they take their pets to the park.

The City of Yarra is pressing charges against Andrea Krelle, the owner of a whippet called Tiger that allegedly killed a possum last winter in North Fitzroy’s Edinburgh Gardens.

The dog had been in a part of the park where the council allows them off the leash. The case will be heard in the Melbourne Magistrates Court next month.

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Yarra mayor Cr Alison Clarke told The Sunday Age that incidents of dogs killing possums were rare. But local dog owners are up in arms, saying a proliferation of increasingly tame possums makes future incidents inevitable.

‘‘Even when you’re doing your best to be responsible you can still come unstuck,’’ said Adam Stead, a North Fitzroy dog owner who regularly walks his German short-haired pointer in Edinburgh Gardens.

He said possums, used to being fed by park-goers, were constantly putting themselves in danger, and when dogs saw a possum they’d instinctively chase it.

‘‘To have this hanging over our heads is just unbelievable.’’

Jordan Wright, another North Fitzroy dog-walker, said he knows of a number of incidents in which dogs killed possums in the Edinburgh Gardens.

‘‘The council needs to understand that if they’re not going to control the population of possums, there’s going to be conflict with dogs,’’ he said.

Wildlife Victoria has recorded more than 2700 attacks by domestic animals on native birds and animals in the past five years, while the Wildlife Information Rescue and Education Service says the actual number is likely to be far higher as most attacks go unreported.

The Australian Veterinary Association last year estimated that domestic cats kill around 75million native Australian animals a year. The City of Yarra received 64 reports of alleged dog attacks last year, with two incidents now the subject of court action. Sixteen dog owners were fined $300.

Possum numbers in parks are on the rise, partly because of a dearth of natural predators in the urban environment and partly because people feed them.

Mr Stead says he has complained 30 times in the past three years to the Yarra council about people leaving food, such as bread and salad, for animals and birds in the park.

‘‘The main problem is in winter when people tend to walk their dogs when it’s getting dark and the possums are active,’’ he says. ‘‘The possums, which are used to being fed, are waiting at head height fighting for the best position. Even if you have your dog on a lead you can pretty much run into strife. A dominant possum will have no qualms about pushing another possum on to the ground.’’

Jackie Fristacky, the Yarra council representative for Nicholls ward, says well-meaning possum feeders are actually endangering the creatures.

‘‘This has been a long-standing issue for our inner city parks,’’ she says.

‘‘If people leave food out for possums it does encourage them to come down instead of feed in the trees and it encourages them to be less wary of people — and the dogs with the people.’’

Ms Fristacky says in eight years of being on the council she hasn’t heard of a dog owner being taken to court over a possum attack.

The Department of Sustainability and Environment warns against feeding possums as it can lead to dietary imbalance, dependence on the food source, artificially high densities of possums, and it attracts rats and pest birds.

Ecological consultant John Patrick, who last year submitted a management plan to the City of Yarra for possums in Curtain Square, says normally a hectare of land sustains up to four possums. In the square, there are 40 possums per hectare, endangering the trees and bringing the animals into inevitable conflict with other park users.

Ordering a cull of possums, which are protected, would be controversial. Lord mayor Robert Doyle announced plans in November to counter possum numbers by installing nesting boxes for one of their natural predators, powerful owls, in Royal Park and the Fitzroy and Flagstaff Gardens.

‘‘You’ve got to have sympathy for the possums,’’ Mr Patrick says. ‘‘The problem is people feeding them, with the result the population has grown beyond what is sustainable naturally.’’

Mr Stead says requiring dog owners to muzzle their pets in the park would be a better solution than threatening them with court and $5000 fines

[KatrinaM]

Poor dog owners, poor possums.

[poodlefan]

God forbid a dog demonstrated natrual canine behaviour in a designated dog offlead area.

What a crock. I feel for Tiger's owner.

[Sue]

My dogs love their possum patties of course in NZ they are a huge and very destructive pest and the only good possum is a dead one. I'm sure kiwi's will be more than happy to send some back to replace the ones which dogs kill in the park.

Don't know how inbred they are though, lol.

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

So are they going to fine the people who feed the possums, and the people who squish them with their cars?

Road kill possums are quite common around my area.

We also have problems with possums around my dog club. I don't think anyone feeds them, but they don't get hunted much either. And it is very hard to persuade my dog she may not eat possum poo or chase the possums. I've nearly got her to ask permisson before lunging after the neighbourhood cats, too.

[wuffles]

At the (fenced) Belconnen dog park in Canberra there is a possum box in one of the trees A few times my boy has become obsessed with the tree because there is a possum in the box, so I've had to move on...

[Staranais]

My dogs love their possum patties of course in NZ they are a huge and very destructive pest and the only good possum is a dead one. I'm sure kiwi's will be more than happy to send some back to replace the ones which dogs kill in the park.

I was just thinking that!

Having said that, I do muzzle my dog when out bush in case she happens to come across a poisoned possum & poison herself by eating it. So asking people to fit muzzles to their dogs (and perhaps fining people without muzzles on their dogs) might be a better solution for everyone, than such an exhorbitant fine for something most dogs will instinctively do.

[Greytmate]

A muzzle won't stop a possum clawing a dog's eye out. The possums need to be managed for the safety of all.

[Sue]

I think Staranais was referring to muzzling to prevent her dog eating a 1080 poisoned carcass. 1080 survives in the carcass for a number of weeks and has been the cause of death for a number of dogs.

If a poisoned possum falls into a waterway and is washed downstream then dogs some kilometres away from the poison drop zone can also die if they eat the carcass.

All because someone wanted to make a fur industry in NZ, then got sick of it and released the possums into the wild.

[Staranais]

Yes that's right, Sue. I muzzle my dog to prevent her eating possums - because of 1080 - and it comes with the added benefit that it helps protect any protected fauna she might come across.

It doesn't stop the need for training my dog to leave possums alone, it just gives an extra margin of safety for everyone.

[Danielle]

Is this council serious? You can't take someone to court if their dog kills a possum! Ridiculous!

My ACD has eradicated whole families if possums in her life, all in our backyard. She's also been successful in culling quite a few native birds and a couple of fruit bats. There is nothing I can do about it, it all happens at night in our backyard.

Had no idea I could get in trouble over something like this. Geezus!

[Souff]

God forbid a dog demonstrated natrual canine behaviour in a designated dog offlead area.

What a crock. I feel for Tiger's owner.

Next I suppose somebody will be taking council's planning department to court for putting a dog offlead area in a known possum habitat. "Endangering native fauna."

But I suppose that they would just use the cop-out that the insurance companies use: Act of God.

Or in this case, Act of Dog!

[Dellcara]

That whippet can come to my place anytime and take care of our possum problem.

[geo]

I agree with most of the posts about dogs behaving naturally and I know my dogs would most likely kill a possum should they see one.

However domesticated dogs shouldn't be allowed to kill native fauna, in the case of feral populations that are a burden on available resources then I don't see a problem culling them.

I don't think anyone should be fined over it but we shouldn't be allowed to let our dogs kill native animals, especially in their natural habitat. If they're a problem around your house just trap them and take them somewhere else.

[Rebanne]

I don't think anyone should be fined over it but we shouldn't be allowed to let our dogs kill native animals, especially in their natural habitat. If they're a problem around your house just trap them and take them somewhere else.

It is illegal in Victoria to remove them from their area. Anyway if one possum thinks your place is a bit of alright you can bet another will move in quick smart.

[centitout]

Very true-our place in Forbes had a resident possum that the previous owners fed,when she brought her baby we made the mistake of continuing feeding-3 am in the morning her aunts,uncles ,brothers ,sisters all used to turn up for a party on our roof Unfortunately they used to sit on the roof with their tails hanging down taunting the dogs,and Demon learnt to shake them out of the tree they used to climb up.

[Nekhbet]

what charges are they bringing against the dog? If the woman purposely set the dog on the possum is one thing but if a stupid possum clibs down to say hello to a whippet of all things, then well what do they think will happen. Maybe allowing some muzzled dogs to frighten the possums off dogs would be the way to go.

[LizT]

I don't think anyone should be fined over it but we shouldn't be allowed to let our dogs kill native animals, especially in their natural habitat. If they're a problem around your house just trap them and take them somewhere else.

It is illegal in Victoria to remove them from their area. Anyway if one possum thinks your place is a bit of alright you can bet another will move in quick smart.

They also don't survive if relocated. They are usually killed in territorial fights by the local possums.

[LizT]

Very true-our place in Forbes had a resident possum that the previous owners fed,when she brought her baby we made the mistake of continuing feeding-3 am in the morning her aunts,uncles ,brothers ,sisters all used to turn up for a party on our roof Unfortunately they used to sit on the roof with their tails hanging down taunting the dogs,and Demon learnt to shake them out of the tree they used to climb up.

I think the possums in our area wear Doc Martens on our roof!