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.
Giraffes aren't ideal as pets. They involve a great deal of feeding, so neighbours tend to become a little irate when their carefully-tended trees begin to disappear from the top downwards.
Kleven explained female giraffes reach breeding age much younger and cost $55,000 and up, while male giraffes cost around $10,000.
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).
In NSW you need a licence to keep most native animals as pets. Not all native animals can be kept as pets, but some species which have been bred in captivity can be kept. None of these animals may be caught in the wild.
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.
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”.
The red kangaroo is the unofficial mammal emblem for the entirety of Australia. It's officially the chosen mammal for the Northern Territory as well, so we'll talk about it more in that section. Australia's national bird emblem is the emu.
Keeping crocodiles as pets
Both need similar conditions in captivity. To keep a crocodile you must get a permit to keep protected wildlife. You must keep the crocodile in an enclosure that follows the housing crocodiles guidelines. In urban areas, you can only keep a crocodile that is less than 60cm long.
Two dwarf giraffes have recently been found in Africa as the result of standard photographic surveys used by researchers to track the animals' population dynamics. One dwarf giraffe was found in Murchison Falls National Park in Uganda, and the other was found on a private farm in central Namibia.
With their long, spindly legs and towering height, giraffes are not exactly built for carrying riders around. Plus, their long necks and awkward gait would make for a pretty bumpy and uncomfortable ride. Assuming you could somehow manage to mount a giraffe, the next challenge would be finding a suitable saddle.
Life Cycle: Giraffes can live as long as 25 years. Feeding: Giraffes eat a very wide variety of trees and shrubs and spend a large part of each day browsing.
Giraffes are one of nature's gentle giants. The tallest mammals on Earth which they can run as fast as 35 miles an hour over short distances, giraffes are smart, loyal and social animals with an excellent eyesight!
Animals in Captivity
Captive giraffe are confined to enclosures that are a tiny fraction (typically <1%) of their average wild home range and are all too often bare and simplistic. Lameness, physical trauma, and nutritional diseases are common problems for captive giraffe, alongside behavioral disturbances.
Zebras also have very different temperaments to horses. They're far more aggressive and a lot more dangerous. Zebras have been known to kick each other to death, they will viciously bite any human that comes too close, and there are even many accounts of zebras killing lions.
The capybara considered the friendliest wild animal, has a calm and compassionate nature, even adopting stray and runt animals, and even providing transportation on its back for birds and monkeys. Considered worldwide as the best pets, canines were one of the first species domesticated by homo sapiens.
Red Kangaroo: Australia's largest native land mammal #amoty2022.
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. We believe this would be impossible to do in a home environment.
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. Native mammals have special needs and do not thrive in confined domestic environments.
They may be adorable, but wombats do not make good pets.
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.
However, the species is prohibited throughout Australia for a number of reasons including its potential to introduce exotic animal diseases and because the species has the ability to become a serious invasive pest in Australia.
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.
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.