A recent study by Animals Australia , which included a survey of wildlife carers and shelters, indicates that native wildlife species are not suitable as pets. Many are noctural and their natural, often dangerous behaviour develops as they age. They are too prone to stress and welfare problems when kept as pets. Available veterinary expertise specific to wildlife is limited. Seventy-nine percent of wildlife carers surveyed said wildlife should not be kept as pets.
Most native species stress easily.
Like pet cats and dogs, when the cute or novel pet becomes a problem, more stressful confinement, an attempt at rehoming, or abandonment is the likely outcome. Shelters are full of unwanted domestic pets. A moratorium on the breeding of wildlife for the pet trade and the commercial trade in pet wildlife is needed, not an expansion of the practice in other States. This should remain pending a thorough examination of the extent of welfare problems among pet wildlife, and independent assessment and public debate to gauge whether the problems can be adequately addressed. Realistically, we doubt they could.