Possum Fur

Possum fur has the softness and warmth of cashmere, is low pilling and has exceptional thermal qualities due to its hollow-fibre construction. The fur is incredibly soft, resilient and non-static. This natural fibre is not from a farmed animal and although consistently available will inevitably show some seasonable variability. Guard hairs are not removed. All our excellent possum pelts come from the South Island in New Zealand.

The Australian brushtailed possum (Trichosurus vulpecula - "Little Wolf") was imported from Australia in 1837 to start a fur industry, but since the animal does not have any natural predators in New Zealand, the number of possums has exploded. Another reason for that was the decline in demand of fur since the 1980's. There are currently an estimated 80 million possums living in the country.

They eat their way through approximately 20,000 tonnes of vegetation a day. Each possum consumes 300g of vegetation per night. They, seriously damage our native forests, they take the eggs and young of native birds, and eat large insects such as wetas. Therefore, possums are not protected under New Zealand law. It is the main mammal pest in New Zealand and this is of concern for our environment and agriculture. Trapping by the public is legal and has been since 1947 but has not made any significant difference to the ever-increasing possum population. Huge poison drops by the Department of Conservation (DOC) seem to be the only way of keeping the population from getting entirely out of control.

A new possum fur trade is beginning to emerge since 2000, and with it some hope for the survival of our threatened native species. Possum fur (sometimes mixed with merino lambswool) is becoming an important new fashion product, which is advocated from all environmental groups The Royal Forest & Bird Society, The Ecologic Foundation, and Greenpeace New Zealand. And hopefully that's a way to save our forests.