WESTERN RINGTAIL POSSUMS
969. Hon Dr BRAD PETTITT to the Minister for Agriculture and
Food:
I
refer to the four deaths of western ringtail possums associated with the
collaring project licensed as AEC 21-1-05.
(1) Will the
minister please table a copy of the adverse event reports provided to the
animal ethics committee regarding each of these deaths?
(2) Will the
minister please provide advice regarding the presence of pouch young in the
deceased animals and the outcomes for any such young?
Hon
ALANNAH MacTIERNAN replied:
I thank the member for the question.
(1) I am advised
that the 2013 Australian code for the care and use of animals for scientific
purposes requires animal ethics committee members to maintain
confidentiality regarding the content of applications and the deliberations of
the AEC.
(2) I am advised that a female western ringtail possum
was presented to a veterinary hospital in the south west in late August
2022. It was declared dead at presentation. The possum had two joeys in her
pouch that were alive but as they were furless and weighed only 75 grams they
were considered non-viable and were euthanised. A total of 52 possums have been
collared. I understand that this was the only one of the five that have since
died that died with a joey.