How much is possum fur worth in NZ?
Raw possum fibre that hasn’t been treated is $130 NZ per kilogram paid to the gatherer. It takes between 10 to 20 possums to gather 1 kilogram of fibre depending on the season and food sources for the pest (often native bird eggs).
Are possum furs worth anything?
Going back across the Pacific, the opossum is trapped across the United States with almost 200,000 taken in 2014 alone (the last year for which records are available) although prices for this fur have been lower in recent years (average $2.86 per pelt in 2016: source IFF).
How many possums are in a kg of fur?
It takes 10 to 15 possums to make 1kg of fur. Mr Woodward said harvesting was not straightforward, because possums were best plucked freshly killed when the plucking had to be done by hand.
How do you get possum fur?
Possum fur is a natural product that comes from renewable resources, and with an estimated 70 million possums in New Zealand, there’s plenty to go around. In comparison, fake fur is made from petroleum-based products derived from non-renewable resources.
How much is a kg of possum fur worth?
The current price of $120 a kg for fur is a good income for those who don’t mind hard work, he said. The price had fluctuated between $25 a kg and $150 a kg in the 30 years he had been in the industry.
How do you catch a possum in NZ?
It’s important to trap possums live as it’s much easier to pluck the fur from a freshly killed one than one that’s dead and cold. Traps are stapled to the base of trees. A lure is painted on the trunk a hammer’s length above it to encourage the curious possum to stretch up and sniff it, tripping the trap.
How warm is possum fur?
In independent tests, possum fibres were found to be 55% warmer than merino and 35% warmer than cashmere fabrics of the same weight and knit structure.
Can I buy possum?
People sometimes find orphaned possums and consider raising these cute animals as pets. It’s illegal to keep them without a wildlife rehabilitation permit, though, and once they’re old enough to survive on their own, healthy possums can, and should, be released.
Where do possums sleep NZ?
dens
During the day, possums sleep in dens—in thickets of gorse, flax and scrub, among the roots of trees, in dead trunks and logs, in the burrows of other animals (such as kiwi) and even in the ceilings of buildings. Animal lovers or not, most New Zealanders agree that drastic action is needed to get rid of the pest.
What is possum fur good for?
The hollow fibre doesn’t just mean that Possum fur is a good insulator, it also means it is amazingly lightweight. When used to create Possum Merino knitwear the combination of Possum in the fabric leads to very lightweight garments. According to some sources possum fur is 8% warmer and 14% lighter than wool.