ARE there times when it’s justified to trap an animal and turn its pelt into a fur coat? A small, furry-tailed pest that is devastating New Zealand’s animals and plants is posing this unique dilemma for wildlife campaigners.
It’s a question the anti-fur lobby has never had to face before. But a number of respected wildlife groups, including the WWF, are backing calls for the New Zealand government to support a fledgling fur-trapping industry that turns brush-tailed possums into items such as coats, hats and possum wool socks. They say that the current eradication programme is not an effective way to control a pest whose numbers…
