The New Zealand Possum

Possums are not native to New Zealand. The first possums were brought here in 1837 from Australia. Possums were introduced to New Zealand to start a fur industry. Possum has naturally thick and soft fur. It is an ideal choice for fur products. 

At present, most New Zealand possums are brown or gray, because the possums came from Tasmania, Australia in the 19th century, where possums are usually darker in color, while light-colored possums living in Queensland, Australia, was not introduced to New Zealand because their color was not so popular in the fur trade at that time. 

Possums are a serious pest animal causing havoc on New Zealand's nature wildlife because they eat pasture that farm animals like and the berries that native birds like to eat. Traps, poisons and hunting have greatly reduced the number of possums, but today there are still about 30 million possums in all parts of New Zealand! Therefore, local people have to use their fur to make possum products so as to control their population.  

The fiber of the possum fur is hollow, so it is very unique. Only two kinds of animal fibers in the world have this characteristic. Except possum, the other is the polar bear. Hollow fiber is softer and lighter than ordinary fiber, and its thermal insulation ability is better. 

Possum products have natural warmth, and fur is extremely soft. Possum fur is 8% warmer and 14% lighter than wool. It can automatically adjust the temperature, just like your second skin. These amazing characteristics have led to a boom in the sale of Possum fur products in recent times.