Currently, only dogs, cats, rabbits, horses and selected species of birds from approved countries may be imported as pets. No other vertebrate animals are approved for import into Australia as pets. Reptiles are not permitted to be imported as pets but may be imported under strict conditions for zoological purposes.
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.
A risk to ecosystems. If they are released or escape into the wild, hamsters and gerbils would compete with our native rodents for the same food resources. They could also pose a risk of disease introduction, with both being a significant risk to the survival of our native animals.
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.
Freshwater tortoises are often kept as pets in Australia. The Murray River tortoise, Macquarie tortoise, and Common long-neck tortoise are three of the most popular species. These turtles make great pets because they are easy to care for and can live for many years with proper care.
Taking emus or emu eggs from the wild is illegal. You need a licence to farm emus for their meat, skin, oil, eggs and feathers. You also need a licence to obtain captive-sourced emu eggs to carve or decorate and sell. If you want to keep captive-sourced emus as pets, you'll need an animal keeper licence.
Unfortunately guinea pigs cannot be imported into Australia at this time. Please see the Australian Government Department of Agriculture website for more information. Sorry to be the bearer of this news, Enosha. Australia is a rabies-free country that imposes pretty strict rules on the pets allowed in.
Labrador Retrievers, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and Newfoundlands are among the safest dog breeds that are least likely to bite, new research has found. While any dog can nip, these breeds are known for their particularly sweet-tempered spirit as long as they are treated right.
Animals Not Allowed To Be Kept As Pets
Ferrets, weasels, minks, badgers, wolverines, skunks, and mongooses. Squirrels, raccoons, and bats.
Kangaroo ownership is legal with a permit in Washington, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maine and New Jersey.
Animal Medicines Australia
Dogs continue to be Australia's most popular pets, with just over 5 million dogs across the nation.
House crows are classified as a prohibited pest animal under the Victorian Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994. 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.
If you live in Australia, it is not legal for you to have a native wild bird as a pet. This includes magpies. It is illegal to export Australian Magpies. Outside of zoos, there are no breeders of Australian Magpies outside of Australia.
You may need a development approval if you want to keep more ostriches and emus than an animal keeping approval allows.
The Australian Government do not allow the import of wolves, wolf hybrids/breeds with wolf content into Australia - with good reason. Although all dogs descended from wolves 10,000 years ago, the temperament of wolves or even wolf hybrids is not something that is desirable in a pet/domestic dog.
Pit bull terriers have been banned from importation into Australia for over 15 years but there are some living in Australia from before the ban. There are also many cross-breed dogs that look similar to pit bull terriers. Cross-breed dogs are not declared restricted breed dogs in Tasmania.
Adult males in particular are potentially dangerous animals to handle because of the venom delivered by their spurs. Sensibly, platypus cannot be legally kept as pets in Australia, nor are there currently any legal options for exporting them overseas.
1. Which species of reptiles can I own? You can keep some native dragons, geckos, lizards, snakes and turtles as pets. However, under NSW law, you may only own native reptiles bred in captivity which have been bought from a licenced breeder or dealer.
Native mammals like kangaroos, quolls and sugar gliders cannot be kept as pets in NSW. The best place for native animals is in the bush where they can live in their natural environment.