Possums have always been a topic of discussion growing up and I have always been told they were a threat to New Zealand’s environment. What wasn’t discussed, was the programmes used to control possum populations. I had a brief understanding of the different types of control programmes, however I wasn’t aware of the consequences of them.
I went into assignment 1 with my mind set on possum control being ethically justifiable. However with the more research I did, the more I changed my mind and this is what I found most interesting in assignment 1. I was interested to learn that I had already had a set opinion on a topic that I barely knew anything about. This has taught me to consider and research all sides to a topic before making judgement. I feel that this a very important lesson to learn early on in life and especially if you are going to pursue a career in science.
In New Zealand, I did not understand how many implications there were surrounding 1080 and all of the people that against it being used but now I understand why. The main point, which was of the most interest, was how 1080 kills slowly and painfully, making it unethical. The poison does not make the possums unconscious, so they feel all the pain throughout the slow death. Many tests have been done to prove this and for the majority of time from poisoning to death, they have many painful spasms and tremors. A test conducted at Massey, when possums ingested the lethal dose of 1080, showed:
By 1 hour and 55 minutes: Half of the possums had abnormal appearances and postures.
By 3 hours and 37 minutes: There was a lack of co-ordination.
The rest of the time was spent: Lying down having spasms and tremors
(Littin, Gregory, Airey, Eason, Mellor, 2009)
For a conscious animal to go through this pain is horrendous and a very large concern in animal welfare. Although possums are a pest, no animal should have to suffer, instead another pain-free but effective alternative needs to be found.
Littin,K.E., Gregory,N.G.,
Airey,A.T., Eason,C.T., & Mellor,D.J. (2009). Behaviour and time to
unconsciousness of brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) after a lethal or
sublethal dose of 1080. Journal of Wildlife
Research, 36(8), 709-720
2 comments:
I find it interesting that you had gone into this assignment with the mind set of possum control being ethically justifiable and upon doing more research you have learned that your opinion has changed. Continuing to read about the slow and painful deaths that occur when 1080 has been ingested makes me feel ill to my stomach. I understand that this has been the only effective method in controlling pests but a more humane alternative definitely needs to be found.
These facts you have included are very helpful towards allowing me to have better understanding of your topic. These are real numbers and actual data on what happens to the animals and it really opens your eyes. It was interesting to find out what you found most exciting about your topic and how it changed the more you started to research it. This shows how opinions can change as you become less ignorant to a topic. This development is displayed clearly in your writing.
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