This is our second Madam Wood, fighting for the lives of her 18 developing eggs last night. She lost, and almost paid with her life. In a second video clip the possum dragged her out of the nest box, and she fled into the dark night. The Woods returned at first light this morning but decided to abandon their nest. I don’t blame them. The eggs were icy cold this evening when I discovered the carnage of broken eggs and the camera footage. I had put possum guards on the tree, but the possum had discovered a high altitude branch crossing for the first time last night.
Human impacts on nature can come in many forms. We live next door to a wildlife carer who rescues and soft-releases brush tail possums at her home and has done for many years, they are not returned to where they were found. This is not uncommon for rescuers to do this I understand, also relocation programs where land is to be cleared is another example. We have at least 20 living on our 5 Acre woodland property, some nights it appears as if there is a possum up every tree. Things are seriously out of kilter, ecosystem arboreal predator carrying capacity-wise.
The irony is that by saving each life and releasing many brushtail possums over time at the one location with free food at home base, the lives of many more animals are lost or offspring eaten. These numerous possums also compete against other animals for the few remaining large tree hollows. The ecosystem is out of balance. I haven’t seen any bush birds nest successfully on our woodland property in the two years we’ve been here.
Of four active duck nest boxes this year so far, three have now been raided by brushtail possums. This is the latest and the only one with a full clutch of eggs part-way through incubation. At least I can move these boxes to more protectable trees, now I know the extent of the possum threat. The other bush birds don’t stand a chance.
I don’t dislike possums, but there are consequences for releasing large numbers of one species into an ecosystem already, at or over carrying capacity.