Ringtail Possums: worth a second look

Now that it is spring, WIRES – the NSW Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service is receiving many calls to ringtail possums.

Possums breed all year round but are especially prolific in spring.

WIRES General Manager Leanne Taylor, said members of the public are calling WIRES about dead ringtail possums which have been hit by cars or attacked by cats and dogs but which have live joeys.

"In the last five days, WIRES has been called to possums at Ryde, twice at North Ryde, Beacon Hil, Hunters Hill, Lane Cove, Kirribilli, Gordon, Emu Plains, St Ives, Roseville, twice at Lindfield, Chatswood and Manly, Oatley, Forestville, Terrigal, North Epping, Ryde, Ingleside, Bankstown, Rydalmere and two at Rose Bay," Ms Taylor said.

"We are recieving calls from helpful people who have found a live joey in a pouch or on the ground nearby."

"What we would like to ask is that people have a close look for a second joey as ringtails nearly always have twins."

"A juvenile rintail has no chance of survival without its mother so we are asking people to be vigilant and remember if they find one joey, there is likely to be a second one nearby," Ms Taylor said.

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