Two possum trappers pose with their haul, about 1920. Possums had been introduced to New Zealand to create a fur industry similar to the one that had flourished in Australia from the early 1800s, and they were protected under the Protection of Animals Act 1880. But by the 1920s the damage to the forests had became apparent. Possums still enjoyed some protection until restrictions on taking them were lifted in 1946–47.
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference:
1/2-110438; F
Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.
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