by Eyebrow2 7 Replies latest jw friends
My son is fascinated by koalas....and we had a discussion about how he would love to have one as a pet.
I told him I didn't think that koalas would be something you would be allowed to have as a pet in the US...but it got us wondering, is it legal in Australia?
Could any of you kind Aussies let me know if you have ever known anyone to have one as a pet?
thanks!
Can't own them as pets. You've got to be licensed - either in the zoo/animal park sense, or as a WIRES (wildlife rescue) person. UncleBruce is a WIRES type; a pity he doesn't post anymore. He'd be able to tell you more.
Koalas are okay if raised in captivity, but don't expect the wild ones to be cute and cuddly - they'll have your finger off in a jiffy!
Here's the opinion of an Aussie who's far from enamored of them (from http://www.junkscience.com/):
Fundraising time, again? "E Australia koalas 'under threat'" - "Koalas could be wiped out in eastern Australia within 12 years, a conservation group has warned. The Australian Koala Foundation said that urban and agricultural sprawl was infringing on koalas' habitat to a dangerous degree." (BBC News Online)
The 'Australian Koala Foundation' is a club, of sorts, that happily admits never having attempted a koala survey, as such (mostly because its very hard work counting the nasty nocturnal beasts as they spend their days sleeping in forks and hollows high in the tall timber). AKF's chosen 100K population figure seems to be picked for no particular reason (they must like it though - been using it for decades) and bears no known relation to figures determined by koala researchers or state departments of wildlife, natural resources and/or environment, all of whom give significantly greater numbers and list koala populations as increasing (sometimes catastrophically, as is the case on South Australia's Kangaroo Island where 20K-30K need to be culled to prevent them eating out the manna gum forests and destroying the habitat).
As for koalas being viewed 'in the wild' by tourists - fugeddaboudit! The vast majority of tourists (and a significant portion of Australians) will only ever see koalas in zoos or 'sanctuaries' (enclosures where contained populations are habituated to the presence of people and structured so people can - for usually exorbitant fees - see and sometimes touch something that looks like an overgrown dust bunny that may [but probably won't] lazily open its piggy little eyes).
Anyone who really cares about maintaining healthy koala populations in Australia should lobby for the reopening of the skin trade, which would restore material value to endemic populations (the fur is thick and soft, probably quite valuable) and provide incentive for landowners to maintain habitat for their noisy, ill-tempered 'canopy rabbits'.
interesting!!!
I think they are a wee bit ugly myself...hmmmm I bet they would make some nice slippers...
I will let me son read this...thank you!
=)
Don't get me wrong - koalas are fascinating creatures. But like so many animals that we've reduced to the status of cuddly toys, we forget that they're basically wild animals. Anthropomorphism is a good way of reducing unnecessary antagonism towards wild animals, but it pays to remember, for example, that bears aren't only a threat because they may make off with the occasional "pick-a-nick basket".
so true...we talked about that earlier...thats why we wondered if they were allowed as pets, if they had been domesticated at all.
In the US I have known people to have skunks as pets; they just have their stink bag removed. Which doesn't help them if they get out of the house. One girl had to have hers put down because it would scratch too much. I thought, my god, the thing ain't a cat!!!
I have relatives who have ferrets...smelly little creatures. They can be cuddly, but they are little weasels practically, so I wouldn't say they are great with kids.
My daughters used to say they wanted a squirrel as a pet..until they saw how nasty they can become last fall when I had to catch a few that had got in our house....let me tell you, those little buggers can bite. And they have quite the little growl.
I had a pet kangaroo when I was a kid and I used to ride in its pouch to school. No the last part isnt right just joking.
I have lived in Australia for around 19 years and have only ever seen a koala in the wild once. They arent very common and as for having them as pets - its totally illegal. The laws on keeping wildlife are very strict, I once had a magpie as a pet and got busted. I was lucky to not receive a fine.
It's also illegal in Australia to export native flora and fauna, so, sorry you foreigners, you can't have a koala!!
