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Discovery

Possum Problem

Lee Cunliffe

It's a strange sight, seeing a tree stripped to the bone standing next to one covered in leaves.

The culprits are possums. The reason you get two trees of the same species standing next to each other, one dead and one thriving, is the possum's eating habits....

Case Pekelharing sums up the situation: "Everybody knows they're doing damage, but how much is the whole point."

Along with other scientists, he has been on the West Coast trying to find out if the possum browsing is seasonal, meaning the trees have time to recover, or if the trees are being killed.

Lee Cunliffe attends Christchurch Boys' High School.