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A New Zealand woman called the local police on November 14 to report a hostage situation. The Dunedin woman was trapped in her house by an exceptionally aggressive possum which charged at her repeatedly when she attempted to walk outside. When police arrived the juvenile possum scurried out of the shadows and climbed onto an officer’s leg. No one was physically harmed during the incident, though the woman may have acquired an intense fear of possums.
Possum takes hostage
The common brushtail possum is related to the American opossum but is even more closely related to the Australian kangaroo.
Native to Australia, these possums were introduced to New Zealand in the first half of the 19th century with the intention of establishing a native fur industry.
That fur trade never took off but the brushtail possum did. The species has few natural threats in New Zealand and has there thrived there since being introduced.
They are now considered an invasive species and they have wreaked havoc on indigenous plant and animal life due to a complete lack of natural ecological controls on their population.
Humans, however, are usually not threatened by their presence. Like the American opossum, the brushtail possum almost never acts aggressively towards humans.
When frightened they can threaten but actual attacks are extremely rare. The hostage taking possum probably would not have physically assaulted its victim in this incident.
Suspect released safely
The juvenile possum was likely confused and frightened by finding itself in an urban environment without many places to hide.
It may have been recently separated from its mother, a factor which would increase its anxiety, perhaps leading it to establish itself outside the woman’s door and refuse to let anyone pass.
The possum surrendered peacefully to police when they arrived and was quickly released into a more rural area nearby where it would not encounter as many humans.
Given that it did not know to avoid humans and was friendly towards the officers once they arrived, the possum may have been a released or escaped pet.
Keeping possums as pets is apparently not unknown in New Zealand, where the creatures venture frequently into inhabited areas to search for food.
Regardless, this particular possum should have no trouble surviving in his new home in the absence of humans and house cats.
