Another possum carcass has been put up for people to see in Christchurch's Bottle Lake Forest on a main walking path for families, kids and dogs.
The discovery on Juliet Rd does not come as a surprise to Predator Free NZ volunteers Mike and Theo, who have seen three other possum carcasses displayed in the same way in the past eight months.
The organisation’s Waimari Beach volunteers usually trap throughout Bottle Lake Forest, but have recently ceased due to scheduled logging, Mike said.
Mike and Theo first came across a possum carcass in a tree on Juliet Rd in October.
The display was thought to be a “strange but isolated incident”, but when they discovered two more carcasses down adjacent 23Rd Ave soon after, they became more concerned.
“Neither us or anyone else in the group has ever displayed carcasses in trees,” Mike said.
“Because, a we don’t want to scare the public, and b) it would quite possibly scare other possums away from our traps.
“Someone has left them up there, and someone is targeting this specific track.”
He thought it might be for shock value.
“I just think it’s someone trying to intimidate people by putting up shocking macabre signs all over the place.”
Mike and Theo thought the possums were likely being shot. If this was the case, they were concerned for public safety in and around Bottle Lake Forest.
