Possums!

Supposedly 'cute' marsupial that was introduced to NZ in 1873 for the fur trade. Now you're probably wondering what on earth am I talking about possums for, well.... the amazed comment was made to me, after someone reading an article on NZ, that there's over 70 million possums residing in the forests (and occasionally on the tin roof at 3am making more racket than a two year old with a dum kit!). That's about 20 possums for every person in NZ!
The next comment was no wonder you kiwis just about spit nails when talking about them and actually aim for the little blighters if you see them on the road. I once managed to convert a possum enthusiast from going ugh at seeing them squished on the road, to cheering another one biting the tyre and losing!
By possum sceptic I mean that they didn't realise how destructive they are to NZ flora and fauna (in some areas they have eaten whole canopies of native forests, as well as competing with native birds for habitat, food, disturbing their nests and eating their eggs and chicks). They also spread cow tuberculosis and eat the giant land snail (4.5 inches in diameter belonging to the oldest land snail family that originated 200 to 300 million years ago, are carnivorous, as well as cannibalistic!).
Now you're probably thinking, what about the possum in Australia. Well now, funny thing that... they're actually a protected species there! Yup, that's right protected! The trees in NZ did not have spines, prickles or poisionous leaves for protection and there's also dingos and forest fires to keep the population under control.
That's the thing about NZ flora and fauna... before people arrived there were only two mamals, the short and long tailed bats, and everything was either a bird, insect or lizard. Yup, there were no cats, dogs, rats, weasels, deer, hedgehogs, horses, cows, sheep, etc etc until they were introduced. Hence NZ having about 10% of the world's endangered birds living there (most famously the world's only ground borrowing, flightless, nocturnal and growling parrot, the kakapo, and the world's only alpine parrot, said to be one of the most intelligent there is, the kea - naughty bird that likes to steal window wipers and remove the rubber from around the windows!).
Just think, that in one night it has been estimated by the Kiwi Conservation Club, that 70 million possums can eat about 20,000 tonnes of vegetation - that is about the same weight as 190 million burgers!!
I've put up a pic of this supposedly 'cute' marsupial - can't see it myself, eyes are too close together and what is it with that nose?!