Possums are moving into the roofs and garage roller doors of Orange houses in record rates since Christmas.
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WIRES member and Animal Justice Party regional leader Queenie Green said animal rescuers were getting many phone calls from people concerned about possums on their property.
Ms Green urged people to contact WIRES so that a animal welfare worker could come and remove the animals.
She said WIRES were also able to provide free possum boxes for people to put in their backyards to house the possums.
“There has been triple the number of calls to WIRES just after Christmas,” she said.
Ms Green said a few years ago WIRES were lucky to get 12 calls all summer but now in Orange they were getting one call a day from concerned residents.
We have to release them within 150 metres of where they are found.
- Queenie Green, WIRES and Animal Justice Party
She said drought and urbanisation were forcing the territorial animals into town where they took up residence in roofs and even inside garage roller doors.
“We have to release them within 150 metres of where they are found,” she said.
“When we release them they go straight back to where they came from or another possum takes over in your roof. The answer is the possum box.”
Ms Green said possum boxes were a successful solution and often possums raised families in them.
She said Orange resident Tony Callaghan had made about 120 possum boxes and had donated them to WIRES for people to use.
However, he said he had been forced to stop his home manufacturing industry because it was considered inappropriate for a residential address. That includes him making dog kennels and boxes for gliders.
“I’ve finished now. I’m giving the boxes away, I’m giving the kennels away,” he said.
Mr Callaghan has advertised his kennel business on trailers around Orange but they are for sale.
“When they’re sold that’ll be it. I hope to get rid of them all this week before Australia Day. Then I’m retiring,” he said.
He said he would offer his designs to Orange high school woodwork classes in the hope they could continue to make the possum and glider boxes.
“I can do them for less than $5,” he said.
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David Fitzsimons
I am a senior journalist at the Central Western Daily concentrating on council, government and real estate issues. Before moving to Orange I filled senior roles at the Daily Telegraph, Daily Telegraph-Mirror and the Daily Mirror in Sydney. They included being an editor, news editor, chief of staff and reporter.
I am a senior journalist at the Central Western Daily concentrating on council, government and real estate issues. Before moving to Orange I filled senior roles at the Daily Telegraph, Daily Telegraph-Mirror and the Daily Mirror in Sydney. They included being an editor, news editor, chief of staff and reporter.
