Fun day out?

[cappuccino]

I put this posting here as for some people this is a fun day out! What do you think?

An animal welfare group says it plans to talk to a school in New Zealand which held a possum-tossing contest.

"While it's technically not illegal, it's morally wrong to throw a dead animal around," local SPCA centre manager Danny Auger told the Manawatu Standard.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11397239

Possums are a pest here in NZ but in Australia they are protected.

[doc]

ichh.
wonder what dreadful disease killed the possum?
doc

[JandM]

Old age? Overeating? Fright at the idea that NZIS might have caught up with them?

[GrumpyGoat]

My children are encouraged daily to develop a sense of empathy toward animals. I want them to be kind and have respect for creatures--living or dead.

I would be incensed if their school had something like this.

{Incensed is not really the word but the real word shouldn't be posted on a forum.}

[Carey]

Wouldn't be happy if it was my kids school, at all. Not the right message to be passing onto kids.

[Duncan74]

Wouldn't be happy if it was my kids school, at all. Not the right message to be passing onto kids.

Absolutely.

Stoats are much more aerodynamic.

[Carey]

"Stoats are much more aerodynamic".

That did make me chuckle despite my disapproval!

[GrumpyGoat]

Absolutely.

Stoats are much more aerodynamic.

I, too, will laugh at that but only because you are a chimp in a hat.

[Ngeru]

I find this absolutely disgusting and would most certainly take my kids out of any school that provided this kind of activity as sport. There has been a lot of debate over this in the past week or so. The TV footage on the news showed the children shot and killed the possums beforehand.

Stuff.co.nz did a poll and 60% of the respondents said they didn't have a problem with it.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/bl...owing-is-wrong

This was the schools response:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-stan...possum-tossing

[Wooly_Cow]

The animal was dead before it was thrown - therefore no cruelty there...

It was killed in an approved manner (you might not like it but it's OK to shoot them) - equally NOT cruel (according to the law)

The fact that children were involved in both activities is not illegal - it might not have been too safe but that's a call of the childs parents.

The school did not ask children to perform the activity during school hours or as part of the school activity - and no child was made to participate. Again it was a parental call.

So to say "I wouldn't like my child going to a school that does that" is missing the point - the school doesn't 'do that' -the parents do!

Finally possums are a pest in NZ and kill many native birds and reptiles.

Whilst you might not like it, the shooting activity is no different to setting a mouse trap or poisioning rats (probably more humane).

The throwing part is little different to 'hurling a haggis' - the creature was long dead.

Personally I wouldn't be queueing up to take part and would wonder about the health risks but if that's what the good parents of New Zealand think is OK for their little ones....so be it!