Zealana

Zealana yarns include possum fibres which are warm yet light and lofty.

Possums were first introduced to New Zealand in the late 19th century by fur traders. The animal has no natural predators in New Zealand, and the possum population quickly exploded. It is estimated that New Zealand now has a possum population of around 40 million animals - almost 10 times as many possums as people!

The destruction wrought by possums is manifold. Possums consume approximately 21 thousand metric tons of vegetation every day, resulting in habit destruction for the endangered kiwi bird and many other animals.

The New Zealand government is running a culling program to reduce the number of possums in the country. The use of possum fibres in yarns and clothing is a by-product of the effort to control possum numbers.