Local elders are fighting to have Yalgorup National Park heritage listed, to save endangered wildlife from extinction.
Harry Nannup, who held a story-telling event in Yalgorup last Friday speaking about his appreciation for marsupials, said it was time for the community to act.
“There are that many possums being killed on the highway,” he said.
“They are getting scarce – you see them run over in the dozens.
“If Yalgorup was heritage listed, it wouldn’t just help the possums but all animals in the area.”
Mr Nannup said he was fighting for the animal, because they were pivotal to his survival growing up.
“They are so special to my family and myself because we had to live off them – possum stew was what we ate,” he said.
We depended on these animals to survive in this country, nowadays we have got to do our best to protect them.
- Harry Nannup
“We depended on these animals to survive in this country so nowadays we have got to do our best to protect them.
“We need to do more to protect our animals, not only out there but in the waterways as well.”
Mr Nannup, who grew up in Pinjarra but lived all around the Peel region, said he would hunt possums with his his brothers and his mother would cook.
Programs have been set up in the region for possums, notably, the Dawesville Possum Bridge.
They are very special little animals because their fur was also used to wrap up babies.
- George Walley
Erected in April, the rope bridge allows a safe passage for marsupials to come and go from Gumnut reserve.
This was in response to the high numbers of roadkill impacting population numbers.
Fellow elder George Walley said possums needed to be protected.
“We call them Koomal, that’s the Noongar name,” he said.
“They are very special little animals because their fur was also used to wrap up babies. It fur was softer than kangaroo fur,” he said.
Carla Hildebrandt
Journalist at the Mandurah Mail
Journalist at the Mandurah Mail
