Possums ate this pensioner’s roses. So she fought back

A Southland woman fed up with possums attacking her roses has assumed the role of pest controller at a council reserve.

Last week, Joan Scarlet of Winton caught her 109th possum - her diary helps her keep count.

The 80-year-old pensioner lives at a property which backs onto Ivy Russell Reserve and has been plagued by the pests for 10 years.

"They're eating my roses. Anybody that's a gardener knows if you've got possums around, they'll decimate them in a night. They just like the flavour," she said.

"I'm trying to protect my garden."

Scarlet is armed with a trap she purchased from regional council Environment Southland and has noticed that numbers spike in warmer weather.

With 20 already netted in 2024, she has eclipsed last year's total of 19 with more than a month to spare.

It has come at a cost though, with Scarlet forced to not only purchase traps but also bait at around $50 a tube.

"I'm on a pension, and I'm buying stuff to catch their (the council's) possums."

Her concerns were raised on the back of Environment Southland announcing Predator Free Southland was on hold until further notice due to funding issues.

The programme targeted a range of species in the region, including possums.

Still, the octogenarian remains cheerful amid a steady stream of trips over her back fence to check the trap.

She is expecting a visit from the International Heritage Rose Conference in December, and there's no time to sulk.

"It's generational," she says of her gardening habit.

In response to questions, Environment Southland biosecurity and biodiversity operations manager Ali Meade said possum control was the responsibility of landowners.

The council was providing support to the community, and a successful funding application had been made by a group of volunteers, students and businesses, Meade said.

That project would work with pest plants and animals and include native plantings to improve the reserve.

Southland District Council was approached for comment but did not respond.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air