POSSUM FUR
The fur from the brushtail possum is soft and warm and is similar to the fur of mink. Possums are really cute! Unfortunately, they are eating up New Zealand, and it's our own fault. According to
wikipedia, settlers introduced the possum to New Zealand around 150 years ago, boldy bringing possums where no possum had been before. And now they are demolishing New Zealand's forests and wildlife, and causing disease epidemics.
We humans are doing much worse things to the planet, but we also invent and enforce laws that protect our species more than any other species. Also human fur is lousy for garments. So we use possum fur. We've thought long and hard about it. In these times, we are wise to examine our own beliefs about what we think is good for the planet. We studied the facts about the New Zealand possum, and here's what we found:
- Because possums have no natural predators in New Zealand, their population has grown exponentially and out of control (estimated at 70 million).
- They destroy around 30,000 tons of native trees and vegetation every night.
- As a result, native flora and fauna is threatened to extinction.
- To preserve New Zealand's native forests, it is necessary to control the possum population.
- The government spends $80,000,000 a year on highly toxic possum control.
- Possum fur is not farmed, it's a wild by-product of the effort to save the native forests and birds.
Our suppliers are chosen very carefully. We ensure that our suppliers obtain their fur through humane and reputable suppliers. Most importantly: If these suppliers don't adequately control the possum population, the government steps in and kills them inhumanely with
1080, a horrific poison that enters the land and waterways.
So, what do we do at this point? It's humankind's fault that possums are there. We can't change that now. Does that make it our responsibility to control their population? The use of the fur from the brushtail possum is supported by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the New Zealand Department of Conservation. It is also supported by many other conservation organisations. We are encouraged by conservation groups to sell brushtail possum products.
We think about this a lot. The lesser of evils is still evil. Two wrongs don't make a right. If you have any chichés or original thoughts on this subject, we'd love to hear from you.