A School in Taranaki, New Zealand galled animal rights activists after holding their first ever best-dressed dead opossum contest at their annual pig hunting fundraiser this week, and sharing some of the sick (though sort of hilarious) images.
Some of the opossums were dressed up in baby clothes, others were layed out on towels in cloth bikinis, and one was dressed in a princess dress and tiara. In one rather disturbing presentation, a skinned opossum was dressed up as a boxer.
Naturally, the SPCA wasn’t totally pleased. As The Daily What reports, spokesperson Jackie Poles-Smith said, “The SPCA’s focus is on teaching children respect and empathy for animals and they didn’t do that. Animals deserve respect even after death.”
The school’s principle, Pauline Sutton, is unapologetic though, and says they might do it again next year. She asked MSN, “When people die, don’t we dress them up?” Sure, but we don’t dress them up like goofballs and enter them in a best-dressed contest. Though maybe we should.
August 02, 2012 at 5:54 pm, Michele Gandee said:
I'll take the pretty princess opossum for $20.
August 02, 2012 at 3:16 pm, Lunchtime Links - The Daily What said:
[...] Held: A best-dressed contest for opossums, by a school in New Zealand [...]
August 02, 2012 at 8:20 pm, Tara Scherner de la Fuente said:
Oh…gawd.
August 02, 2012 at 9:54 pm, Talbot Brooks said:
Wtf
August 02, 2012 at 9:55 pm, Michael Atkins said:
A bit of context: possums are pests down here. They eat the eggs of native endangered bird species, and are shot on sight.
August 02, 2012 at 10:11 pm, Erin Lundquist said:
opossums are pests everywhere. thing is.. where did they get them? I'm so used to seeing them as roadkill where i live in the states.
August 02, 2012 at 10:23 pm, Michael Atkins said:
Good question. I don't know about the States, but our ones come from Australia. They're possums, not opossums – different animal. These ones are marsupials.
New Zealand has a unique ecosystem with no native mammals, just birds and lizards. Many of those animals are critically endangered, so any animal that eats eggs is public enemy number 1. We use poisons that are legal nowhere else to control possums.
August 02, 2012 at 11:11 pm, Kait Kruger said:
they're not freaking opossums haha they're ringtail possums most of them, and an introduced pest in NZ, but native to Australia. sheesh guys – pick up a book.
August 02, 2012 at 11:59 pm, Talia Galloway said:
Hahahaha
August 03, 2012 at 4:44 am, Todd McLay said:
Actually, they are brushtail possums.
August 03, 2012 at 5:15 am, Kait Kruger said:
at least 2 of them definitely look like ringtails . . .
August 03, 2012 at 5:48 am, Todd McLay said:
Contrary to the wikipedia article on ringtails, they were never introduced to NZ.
August 03, 2012 at 9:06 am, Daniel Hunton said:
"OH BUT THEY'RE A PEST" does not make up for the fact that this is still pretty fucked up.
August 03, 2012 at 9:15 am, Jozsef Ferencz said:
What about the time you thought it was cool to have a dead rat as a pet?
August 03, 2012 at 9:19 am, Jozsef Ferencz said:
http://i.imgur.com/gLWGC.gif
August 03, 2012 at 10:26 am, Daniel Hunton said:
Jozsef Ferencz Obviously I need to gather more rats and dress them up to beat this one.
August 03, 2012 at 11:17 am, Yay! It’s What the F**k Friday! | Sense and Snarkability said:
[...] other news, a school in New Zealand held a “Best-Dressed Roadkill Dead Opossum Competition.” That’s not disturbing at [...]
August 09, 2012 at 5:24 pm, Flora Guerrero said:
that's so fucked up! I cant believe what I am seeing.