DEPENDING on your perspective, a possum may be a cute creature or annoying pest. But the marsupials are increasingly becoming victims, with the number of possum attacks by cats and dogs on the rise.
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A survey by wildlife groups has discovered nearly 17,000 attacks by domestic animals on native birds and animals in the eastern states over the past five years, though the real figure may be dramatically higher. Wildlife Victoria recorded more than 2700 attacks during that period, with cats attacking 40 per cent more native animals than dogs attacked.
Leanne Taylor, general manager of Wildlife Information Rescue and Education Service, one of the four organisations that produced the figures, said pet owners should monitor their animals more closely.
''Cats and dogs are not the culprits here, it's people who don't supervise their companion animals,'' she said. ''Cats and dogs are only doing what's in their nature, what they have evolved to do to survive and that is to hunt their prey for food. We shouldn't demonise them for doing this but should take the responsibility for their behaviour ourselves.''
The four wildlife groups kept notes on each native animal that was brought to them after an attack, as well as receiving information from veterinarians and the public to produce the figures for New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria.
However, Ms Taylor admits the findings may ''only be the tip of the iceberg, because so many incidents will go unreported''.
A spokeswoman for Wildlife Victoria said ringtail possums were the most commonly attacked wildlife.
