Possum Tossing
That's right - you read the heading correctly - possum tossing. I know that most people don't like possum, but the people of Te Puke (pronounced Tee Pookie) really raised the bar on not liking possum. Apparently, they are a huge pest in the woods near the Kiwi orchards, so as a fundraiser, a couple of men go out and poison the possum. Then teams go out and see how many dead possum they can find - kind of a dark, twisted Easter Egg Hunt. That takes place on Friday and Saturday. Then Sunday morning, the local school has a fair, where the kids can sell the crafts and baked goods, and toss a possum. I didn't want to miss out on the action, so Emma, Cousin Andy, and I went to my friend Sarah's school and bought some baked goods, put our name in for a raffle, and of course, tossed a possum.
Cousin Andy, me, and Emma
The Possum Tossing Competition
I was so excited for a day in the country, I even borrowed a pair of gum boots. Here I am with just one trailer full of Possum.
Prepping for our own possum tossing competition
Emma had the best form, but not distance.
It was a great fundraiser (and funraiser for Office fans) - They make about 5$ per possum pelt for the elementary school, and there were about 6-7 trailers full of them.
So, it was a good day for the school and for possum haters, and I've gotten to do one more thing that I thought I'd never do.
posted by Jen Zig @ 6:32 AM
7 Comments:
Haha! Wow! I guess we could do the same thing to the squirrels around Towson!
What a world away a possum tossing competition seems. (What? No "PETA?") And do they really sell possum pellets for $5 a pop, or is it the pelt? Funny what a few extra letters can do (unless, of course, you really DID mean "pellets," and the joke's on ME! I'm sure possum poo poo makes great fertilizer. The desire for correction & clarification is such an annoying, first born characteristic.)
Thank you first-born - spell check is great until you don't read the word that it chooses for you. I'll change it to pelts.
What in the world!?! NZ is awesome.
Hi Jenny!! It's Lisa. my email address is lm1972us@yahoo.com
email me when you get a minute. It's great seeing you and read of your awesome adventures and travels...sorry i missed you during your return to b-more. Sending my love, Lisa
p.s. my think i would have stayed home and caught a movie, you know me and creepy critters don't agree! LOL
sick
What in the world possesses you to think that this kind of activity is acceptable? I am in no way an active animal welfare-ist, but i am a veterinarian with love for animals. And when I see stuff like this, it makes the hairs in the back of my neck stand up. We have built our society where we see it fit and along the way we have destroyed many species of animals, insects, plants and fish. The fact that possums are a problem in many areas is a fact, but it is we that have destroyed their natural habitat and brought the problem on ourselves. So who are we to disgrace these animals (dead or alive) because they happen to be in our way? It’s disgusting! I don't even want to think about the message it’s sending to these kids about respect for living creatures, natural boundaries and animal welfare. No wonder the world is heading in the direction its going. When wealthy countries can't even keep their wits about them - how can we possibly point the finger at anyone else?
Beside from that, as a veterinarian, I also perceive it as a genuine health concern for kids to be throwing these possums. Possums can carry several bacteria and viruses that can be very harmful to people, especially kids. But I guess that’s really the only way nature could ever get us back?
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