By Kayla Spithoven (Word Count: 499)

My work experience involved assisting ANU honors student Tay Yee Seng with his research on the impacts of brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) on the ANU Acton campus. Given that the brushtail possum is a generalist species with a broad diet and habitat requirements, it has a selective advantage when it comes to colonizing urban areas. This has created a conflict between possums and humans through incompatible building and landscape usage. Tay’s research addresses this issue by gathering data on the locations and preferred habitats of brushtail possums (fitted with tracking collars) throughout the campus. This collected data will then be used to evaluate suitable ways to minimize the impacts of possums to the campus, specifically through manipulating the habitats around buildings in urban environments to discourage brushtail possum occupancy. The issues of translocation and impact management are becoming more and more relevant, especially as human populations and influence continue to grow. 

The Possum Cost: 

Tay has stated that in 2018 alone, brushtail possums cost the ANU campus $1.4 million in damages (roughly $25,000 per possum). They are a significant drain on campus resources, and despite being a beloved Australian animal, the damage they cause cannot be ignored. Therefore, Tay’s research is extremely relevant to balancing the impacts of possums on human habitat, and vica versa, in order to promote a more cohesive ecological system. Previous research has found that “home-range characteristics differ depending on habitat and/or population density”, which does explain the tendency of ANU possums to nest in places like heating ducts and insulation as well as their typical wild habitats of forests/woodlands. Furthermore, studies have shown that many Australians have reported “negative experiences” relating to brushtail possum occupancy. 

Electronic Tagging: Surveilling the Suspects

Throughout my time, I used radio tracking aerials linked to collars (ref. Figure 2) to identify and describe the locations of the possums involved in Tay’s study around campus. Over four nights, I explored the ANU campus using this technology, both finding the possums and documenting the damage they caused and any wild habitats they seemed to prefer. We found that most of the possums, although often found in trees, primarily existed in or around ANU buildings. One of the more memorable discoveries involved a possum who had dug its way into the insulation of a campus building. Overall, it’s clear that great change is needed to provide a mutually beneficial solution for both possums and people.

Reflections: 

Participating in Tay’s research not only allowed me to learn practical skills that I hope to later apply in my future workplace, it provided an unusual and interesting perspective into the ways in which some species must be managed for the betterment of all involved. Overall, the experience was both valuable and very enjoyable!

Acknowledgements: 

Many thanks to Tay Yee Seng for allowing me to participate in his research, and to Divyang Rathod for the use of his pictures.  

Bibliography: 

All photographs: Rathod, Divyang (2020)

Cooper C.E., Withers P.C., Munns S.L., Geiser F. & Buttemer W.A. (2018), “Geographical variation in the standard physiology of brushtail possums (Trichosurus): implications for conservation translocations”, Conservation Physiology 6(1)

Eymann J., Herbert C. A. & Cooper D. W. (2006) “Management issues of urban common brushtail possums Trichosurus vulpecula: a loved or hated neighbour”, Australian Mammalogy 28, pp. 153-171

Hill N.J., Carbery K.A. & Deane E.M. (2007) “Human–Possum Conflict in Urban Sydney, Australia: Public Perceptions and Implications for Species Management”, Human Dimensions of Wildlife 12(2), pp. 101-113 

Kerle J.A. (1984), “Variation in the ecology of Trichosurus: Its Adaptive Significance”, In: Smith A.P. & Hume I.D. Possums and Gliders, Australian Mammal Society, Sydney

Victoria State Government (2017), “Common Brushtail Possum: Our Wildlife Factsheet”, Department of Environment, Land, Water & Planning, Victoria, Australia

Whyte B.I., Ross J.G. & Blackie H.M. (2013) “Differences in brushtail possum home-range characteristics among sites of varying habitat and population density”, Wildlife Research 40, pp. 537-544.