Currently only dogs, cats, rabbits, horses and selected species of birds from approved countries may be imported as pets and only when strict conditions are met. No other vertebrate animals are approved for import into Australia as pets.
Most native animals are protected and cannot be kept as pets. Animals that can be kept as pets include native birds such as some parrots, cockatoos, finches, quail, doves, pigeons and ducks however these must never be caught from the wild (as this is illegal).
All introduced mammal species are prohibited as pets unless listed as exceptions. A sample of these prohibited mammals include: foxes • squirrels • ferrets/polecats/stoats • rabbits • hamsters • monkeys/marmosets • gerbils • weasels • dingoes.
Can you have an owl as a pet in Australia? Owls are not allowed to be kept as pets in Australia as they are considered “exotic pets”.
Exotic pets and native animals are legal in Australia, depending on state regulations. You may visit their policy website for the list of allowed exotic animals.
Vertebrates. Currently only dogs, cats, rabbits, horses and selected species of birds from approved countries may be imported as pets and only when strict conditions are met. No other vertebrate animals are approved for import into Australia as pets.
Four-toed hedgehogs (African Pygmy hedgehogs) may legally be kept as pets. Australia: All hedgehogs are classified as exotic pets that are illegal to import.
In Australia, sugar gliders can be kept in Victoria, South Australia, and the Northern Territory. However, they are not allowed to be kept as pets in Western Australia, New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Queensland or Tasmania.
Ordinarily, it is illegal to kill, buy, sell or possess a kangaroo in Australia. However, in response to the growing kangaroo population, the Australian government permits licence holders to 'cull' or shoot kangaroos. This has resulted in the largest slaughter of land-based wildlife on the planet.
Under Australian environmental law, live native birds cannot be exported from Australia for primarily commercial purposes. To keep a kookaburra as a pet, the NSW Native Animal Keepers' Species List dictates a permit is required and they are not allowed to be kept as a companion pet.
Up to 150,000 ferrets are kept as pets in Australia. However, ferrets are prohibited as pets in Queensland and the Northern Territory. You must not keep, feed, move, give away, sell or release into the environment. Penalties may apply.
The importation, keeping, breeding and trading of this species, without appropriate permits, is illegal and penalties apply. The house crow is not known to occur in the wild in Australia.
Meerkats under the Animal Welfare Act
While it's currently legal to own a meerkat as a pet, it's also a legal requirement under the Animal Welfare Act that owners meet all their needs in a way that allows for natural behaviours.
More than 80% of our plants, mammals, reptiles and frogs are unique to Australia and are found nowhere else in the world. Some of our Australian animals are very well known like kangaroos, dingos, wallabies and wombats and of course the koala, platypus and echidna.
You'll need to get a biodiversity conservation licence granted under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 from the Department of Planning and Environment to keep many native birds as a pet. Once you have your licence you can buy your bird from a licensed animal dealer or pet shop.
The red kangaroo is the unofficial mammal emblem for the entirety of Australia.
Register as a biosecurity entity. Registration is free for non-commercial producers and is a requirement if you own or keep one or more pigs. Once registered, you will be issued with a unique property identification code (PIC) associated with the land where you keep your pig/s.
Two species of native mammal can be kept as pets in NSW as long as they have been bred in captivity and you have a licence. All native mammals, including marsupials like kangaroos, possums and quolls, are protected by law in New South Wales.
Currently, it is illegal to own a wombat in Australia, and it's illegal to export them out of Australia. Wombats might seem like cute, cuddly options for pets, but there are many reasons (aside from the legal) that make them a bad choice for a housemate.
Luckily, all of these are in abundance, since the internet collectively decided that sloths are the new cats, and went batsh*t crazy for them. While it's not yet possible to have a pet sloth in Australia, if that day ever does come around they might just replace dogs as the ultimate family pet.
The most important thing to remember is that a wallaby is an exotic animal and while they can be tamed and socialized, they are wild animals and are not encouraged as domestic pets. In some areas of Australia, wallabies have been trained to live indoors and show signs of affectionate with a playful spirit.
Because they naturally live in colonies of 10-15 other sugar gliders, they are considered social animals and usually do better in homes if they are in pairs. This is also why they have the instinct to bond with an entire group and tend to do very well in a family setting, including with children and other pets.
The most popular Australian reptiles to keep are the Blue-tongue Lizard, Tiliqua scincoides, and the Central Bearded Dragon, Pogona vitticeps, both of which are interesting and easy to care for. Turtles are also popular pets, however a lot of time and effort needs to go in to water changing and filtration.
Rats and Mice
Rat and mice are interactive and sociable animals that make great companions. They make fantastic pets for young children as they are quite easy to handle. Rats and mice don't require large and bulky enclosures, so they make the perfect pet for people living in smaller properties.
Mice and rats can make excellent little pets and are very popular with children. However, they are small and delicate and can be injured or stressed if handled inappropriately. It is important that they are handled properly and gently, and interactions with children should always be supervised.