Animal rights concern at push for native species as pets

Animal lovers could be allowed to keep native species as pets without a licence in NSW under major ­reforms being considered by the state government.

Conservation biologist and UNSW professor Michael Archer with his pet wallaby. He advocates for keeping native animals as pets for conservation and education.

Animal lovers could be allowed to keep native species as pets without a licence in NSW under major ­reforms being considered by the state government that have ignited debate among conservationists.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service is reviewing if native animals can be kept as pets in NSW under a new code of practice, with birds to become the first species to have the licence requirement lifted.

The changes would make NSW among the more lax states when it comes to keeping native animals as companions.

In NSW 41 native species of birds can be kept without a licence, though one is required to keep reptiles, the spinifex hopping-mouse and native plains rat.

Currently in Victoria and South Australia residents can keep a range of native animals including marsupials – such as gliders and wallabies – with a valid licence, which is not permitted in many other states including NSW.

Animal rights activists have criticised the move as watering down laws against keeping native animals and raised concern that the NPWS had not ruled out which species would be under review next.

However, UNSW conservation biologist Michael Archer – who has kept many marsupials, including possums, quolls and kangaroos, as pets – has welcomed the move, declaring any step towards normalising keeping native pets a win for conservation.

“I’m mildly surprised but delighted the government is willing to have an open-minded discussion that’s not prejudiced by the animal rights groups; these are the groups that challenge the idea for irrational reasons,” he said.

“When you go through the points the reality is I don’t think there are many justifiable reasons for objecting to the logic of having some select Australian mammals as companions.

“Why people can only keep introduced alien species, which cause environmental damage, has never made sense to me.”

Conservation biologist and UNSW professor Michael Archer with his pet wallaby.

Professor Archer with his pet possum.

Professor Archer has long advocated for Australians to keep native mammals as pets, arguing that if the Tasmanian tiger or thylacine had been kept domestically it would still be alive today.

“I had a swamp wallaby which was absolutely wonderful, I had a northern nail-tail wallaby, western quoll, which is the animal I was very fond of,” he said.

“Brush-tail possums, yellow-bellied gliders, even flying foxes are a special pet, they’re as bright as dogs, very social and easily bonded mammals.

“There is a whole world of animals ready to cross that line and become our best friends.”

However, many animal rights groups have warned against keeping native animals as pets arguing they have not been bred to be companion animals.

NSW Wildlife Information Rescue and Education Service spokesman John Grant said his organisation opposed any move that supported keeping native animals as pets. “There are a few major areas of concern; firstly, how to monitor animals being taken from the wild illegally,” he said. “There is also the issue that native animals don’t make good pets.”

Animal Justice Party MP Emma Hurst has also criticised the move and the burden it will place on the already overstretched animal welfare system. “Wild animals belong in the wild, it’s as simple as that,” she said.

NPWS said it will “make the final determination on which species can be kept under a code of practice”. A draft code of practice will be released next month.