Possum Merino
Crafted with care and complete traceability, our Possum Merino 4-Ply is a luxurious blend of 80% fine New Zealand Merino wool and 20% premium Possum fur. We use New Zealand Merino sourced from the South Island and hand-plucked Possum fur gathered in Southland, giving this yarn exceptional softness, warmth, and provenance you can trust.
Woollen spun, this 4-ply yarn has a lofty, lightweight handle with a beautifully soft feel against the skin. The Possum fur adds natural insulation and a delicate halo, creating garments that are warm without weight and soft enough for everyday wear.
Every skein offers full fibre traceability from source to finished yarn, reflecting our commitment to quality, sustainability, and ethical production. Each 100g skein is also small batch dyed in-house at Wild Earth Yarns, producing rich, layered colourways with unique depth and character.
Perfect for fine knitting and crochet projects, Possum Merino 4-Ply is ideal for lightweight garments, shawls, baby knits, and timeless accessories — a beautifully soft and distinctly New Zealand yarn made with integrity from paddock to skein.
Why Possums Are Controlled in New Zealand
The Australian brushtail possum was introduced to New Zealand in the 1800s to establish a fur trade. While possums are a protected native species in Australia, they became a serious invasive pest in New Zealand because our environment evolved without land mammals or natural predators.
Today, possums are considered one of the greatest threats to New Zealand’s native forests, birds, and biodiversity. They damage native ecosystems by eating leaves, flowers, fruit, and seeds from native trees, and they also prey on native birds, eggs, insects, and snails. Species such as rātā, pōhutukawa, mistletoe, kererū, kiwi, tūī, and kākā are all affected by possum activity.
Because New Zealand has few natural predators to control possum numbers, populations grew rapidly after their introduction. Possums are now widespread across the country and are officially classified as a pest species.
New Zealand carries out large-scale conservation and pest-control programmes to protect native wildlife and forests. Possum control is supported by the Department of Conservation and regional councils as part of protecting endangered native species and restoring natural ecosystems.
New Zealand possum fibre is sourced from wild populations — possums are not farmed. Fur recovery also helps support conservation efforts by encouraging ongoing pest control in rural and forested areas.
For many New Zealanders, possum fibre represents a uniquely local product that combines natural luxury with environmental responsibility and native forest protection.
