The right thing to do when a possum is in your roof, and causing you a problem is to relocate to as close as possible, within 50 meters.

What is vitally important is to at the same time make sure the possum has a new home, such as a possum box, located in a tree nearby.It should be high enough, that no domestic pets can reach.The higher the better.

This unfortunate Mountain Brushtail possum was relocated with her family from a roof, the owners thought they were doing the right thing, by relocating close by in the forest. What they were not aware of was the need for a new home for the possum family.

Possums are extremely territorial, where habitat is available you will almost certainly already have resident population of possums, so the relocated ones will have a very hard time finding suitable shelter, such as a hollow limb in a tree, hollows take up to 200 years to form.

This juvenile Mountain Brushtail possum was found hiding in a chicken laying box, covered in sores, malnourished, her teeth had been ripped out on one side, causing infection through her mouth and throat.

All we could do for her was to relieve her pain and suffering, and she was humanely euthanased.

The rest of her family was not found, we can only hope that they faired better than this little girl.

Please contact your nearest Wildlife organisation for advise before attempting a relocation.