Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Possums are (no) Scapgoats
I might be more an Aussie than a Kiwi…and that after all those years.
A few weeks ago I saved a possum, I mean I did not kill it. I hope you realized, that this very dangerous what I am doing here. Making public in New Zealand that I let get a possum away on purpose. The archenemies of every Kiwi (I mean the people and the birds) seem to be possums. I think even New Zealand Vegans and priest (actually, that I know for sure) kill every possum they see. So if you don’t here from me for a longer time than I might be in serous trouble or finally started non-stop writing. The preferred way to kill a possum is by driving over it. It very easy, as they stop on the road and basically look into your car light until you smash their head. That might be a bit stupid, but they are no cowards running away. You might call that attitude (that’s what cat owners apparently like on their cats, even I think they are just to stupid to learn and that is mistaken by attitude [gonna get in trouble for that as well]).
Anyway, back to my possum… After a late night at Massey (that is the Uni not a pub!!), I was driving home, while I saw a possum crossing the street. It looked cute..but somehow stoned, while it walked like a bodybuilder. Possum have short front legs so it looks like they have very broad shoulder, when they walk. It stopped in the middle of the road and looked into my front lights, awaiting its death (stupid…bodybuilder like ??). If I would be a Kiwi I would had exhilarate and mad the possum “platt wie ne Flunder”. I thought about the noise it would make and all the intestine and blood, fur and bone pieces stucked on the road and my car (I just got new tires as well). And, anyway, what did that possum do to me? Its no his/her fault/choice to be a possum anyway. So I slowed down and stopped. The possum acknowledged its future and thanked me by nicking twice. Then it went slowly with even broader shoulders to the other side of the street. Maybe it was a bit arrogant and thought it was tougher than my car.
Anyway, I was proud of myself. When I told other people they reacted with fury and misunderstanding. While possums are endangered in Australia they are considered to be a pest here. People, owning domestic cats, told me “don’t you know they kill native birds?”, people feeding ducks and pigeons in the parks said “don’t you know they transmit diseases?”. Farmers who cleared their land from native forest, to have more space for sheep and cattle, are suddenly concerned about the native bush destroyed by possums. Yeah right!
The main excuse is “theyu are not native so its OK to kill them.” But so aren’t cats (Do you drive over cats?), dogs, European ducks, sheep and cows, trouts or deer. And ..ah humans. You don’t drive over huma
ns do you. Even they brought pretty much every pest (including possums) to New Zealand and killed most of the native birds (“When was the last time you saw a Moa?”) and bush!
And unrelated to that I finally found a beer which I really, really like. Coopers Pale Ale (See on the picture with some beautyfull stirfry, with noodles and Vegan Oyster Sauce)
It is bottle fermented, family owned and Australian!
PS: I do think possums are a problem…but I will not kill them. I also think they look cute.
Labels: Australia, dairy, Farming, New Zealand, Possum, vegan
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