Human rights groups in New Zealand demanded an end to the “barbaric war with possums”. About it reports The Guardian.
The reason for their indignation was the practice of annual school hunting for animals. During these events the children shoot guns females and sell their skins and fur. Baby opossums often drown in buckets of water. As suggested by human rights activists, this practice can lead to the fact that children will grow up to be violent and prone to aggression.
The petition is a proposal to ban such hunting has collected nine thousand signatures. Necessary another thousand, then a petition will be obliged to address the Ministry of education.
Hunting for possums is extremely common in New Zealand. The authorities encourage it. By 2050, the country needs to be exterminated all the possums, ferrets, rats and stoats. This, according to the government, you need to do to save the nature of the Islands. The most effective way of dealing authorities believe the poisons, and the farmers insist on shooting the animals.
Possums were introduced into New Zealand in 1837 from Australia: immigrants hoping to establish production of their skins. However, the population of animals deprived of their natural enemies, quickly got out of control. Explosive breeding of opossums, competing with native birds for food and eating their eggs, put many endemic species on the brink of extinction. From the powerful jaws of opossums suffer and local flora.