Melbourne residents battle possums as urban wildlife conflict grows
Caulfield East residents are losing sleep and finding droppings on their decks as ringtail possums thrive in suburban Melbourne — and experts say feeding them is making the problem worse.
A Caulfield East resident said ringtail possums have been disrupting his sleep for months, running across his roof at night, shrieking along the fence line, and leaving droppings on his deck.
Louis Brown, who lives on the same street as a resident who regularly feeds the animals, said the possums have become increasingly bold.
“They’re always running on the roof making noise and waking me up in the middle of the night. I can hear them shrieking and pattering along the fence,” Brown said.
“They always do their business along the fence and leave it on the deck, right where I’m trying to put my shoes on. I tried to throw my slipper at them to make them go away, but they don’t really care, here’s something attracting them here.”
Professor Bob Wong, a behavioural ecologist at Monash University’s School of Biological Sciences, said the pattern is well understood.
Possums thrive in urban environments because cities provide reliable access to food and shelter and species that do well tend to be bolder and more exploratory than their bush-dwelling counterparts.
“Some species do not cope well in urban environments, whereas others like possums end up thriving. The reason they do so well is that they can exploit the novel conditions cities provide,” Prof. Wong said.
Prof. Wong said feeding possums significantly worsens conflict.
“Feeding wild animals makes them bolder and increases human-wildlife interactions, which can be negative. It teaches them… so they may approach people who don’t want contact at all. That’s when conflict arises,” Prof. Wong said.
Research published in The Quarterly Review of Biology in 2022 found urban-adapted wildlife species increasingly exploit human-modified environments, with rising rates of negative human-animal interaction as a result.
Victoria’s Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) also advised residents not to feed native wildlife, noting possums living in roof cavities can be redirected using licensed possum boxes.
Prof. Wong said residents who encounter problem possums should seek professional advice.
“Residents can consult professionals to deal with the problem. They should not take matters into their own hands, and must act within the law to understand what is and is not allowed."
Despite the friction, Prof. Wong said possums are not the aggressive animals many residents assume them to be.
“One common misconception is that possums are overtly vicious. In reality, they are wild animals and can behave unpredictably, but they are not naturally aggressive. They will not seek out or touch humans on their own."
As Melbourne’s urban footprint continues to grow, Prof. Wong said encounters will only become more common, and the best approach is to coexist without encouraging contact.
Residents who find possums in their roof can apply for a free possum box through DEECA to encourage relocation.
Injured or orphaned possums can be reported to Wildlife Victoria on 03 8400 7300.
