South West conservation group ‘had it’ with department forcing unsafe release of possums

Members of a South West conservation group said they have “had it” as they are continuously forced to release critically endangered possums into what they say are unsafe urban environments.

Every year FAWNA volunteers take in more than 100 injured, orphaned and burned western ringtail possums into care, nursing them to health before releasing them into the wild.

However, under the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions code of practice, the group is often forced to return the possums to the spot they where found — where their mothers died and where they were injured in the first place.

With possums being hit by cars, attacked by dogs and urban growth pushing out trees, members of FAWNA have made a stand and are refusing to send possums back into those areas.

A DBCA spokesperson said the code of practice ensures wild populations and natural environments are not negatively impacted by the release of rehabilitated animals.

“Western ringtail possums are a critically endangered species and the conditions applied to release of this species aim to minimise potential impacts to possums already inhabiting the release site and the welfare of the animals to be released,” they said.

“Urban environments offer abundant and accessible food and shelter resources for western ringtail possums and hence house some of the most dense populations of possums in the State.”

But for the volunteers at FAWNA, who spend up to six months working with possums to rehabilitate them, they argue there needs to be a better way.

FAWNA president Suzanne Strapp said it was a “fantasy” to argue urban areas were preferable for possums.

“They are deliberately putting these animals back where there is a very high chance of death or injury and not enough resources for the life of the animal,” she said.

“We’re told if there’s too many in an area (that is different to where they were found) already you can’t put them there,” she said.

“But we know urban areas are already overfilled, because it’s fertile, there is water and there is theoretically less foxes.”

Mrs Strapp told the Times the tale of one particular possum named Mazda, who came into care after being found injured at a car dealership in Bunbury.

After months of rehabilitation, Mrs Strapp said the DBCA told her to release Mazda to a reserve in the centre of Bunbury because it was within one kilometre of where the possum was originally found.

“Mazda died the night he was released,” she said.

“The DBCA didn’t go to the reserve first to see if there were any other possums or see if there was any rigorous fox control — all the things we are expected to provide if we try and suggest an alternative site.

“It’s terrible to make us meet these regulations by jumping through all these hoops, only for the DBCA to say it’s fine over there, when it clearly isn’t.”

FAWNA vice-president Sue McGann said the group had found themselves with no choice but to hold onto possums when the DBCA cannot provide a safe release place.

The DBCA spokesperson said the department will allow translocations of threatened fauna where there are clear benefits that will result in the conservation of the species as a whole.

“These releases are supported by a suite of complex and ongoing actions that are required to maximise the success of animal translocations,” they said

“The internal processes adopted by DBCA to initiate and approve threatened fauna translocations are comprehensive, scientifically rigorous and more demanding than that required of wildlife rehabilitaters.”

For the volunteers who spend the months working with an animal only for it to go back into a dangerous urban environment, Mrs Strapp described the ordeal as “soul destroying”.

“If you’ve spent six months hand-raising an animal only for it to die, how do you reckon you’ll feel next time you’re presented with one?” she said.