00:00This joey is just one of countless possums orphaned by a mystery syndrome.
00:08On top of the other threatening processes like the foxes and the urban sprawl and the loss of quality bush to release them in.
00:20Now we've got a disease on top.
00:22The illness appears to be neurological with affected possums exhibiting blindness, paralysis and seizures.
00:29And for possums, showing just one of these symptoms is often a death sentence.
00:34Unfortunately, the majority of the blind possums do pass away.
00:38In September 2024, a Busselton vet alerted the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions after an influx of sick possums.
00:47By the time we got to about the fifth or sixth possum with sort of unusual symptoms, I started to get a bit suspicious.
00:54And from then it snowballed.
00:56But identifying there was a potentially contagious disease in the species wasn't enough to pinpoint the cause.
01:02We didn't know, is this a poison, toxin, some people wanting to blame, you know, the pesticides.
01:11So far, 85 cases have been identified, with researchers at DBCA collaborating with Murdoch University and Perth Zoo to try and find out more.
01:21We haven't found the cause of the syndrome but we're looking at lots of different factors including potential infectious causes, environmental and nutritious factors.
01:31It's unclear how long the process will take.
01:34These investigations are always really quite tricky to work through.
01:39We don't know how long it will take.
01:42Experts say sick possums are likely to be active in the daytime, circling or unable to write themselves.
01:50Members of the public are urged to avoid handling possums directly and instead to call their local vet or wildlife group.
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