Why can you keep other native mammals – like quolls or sugar gliders – as pets?
For a long time, Australians have kept native birds, reptiles and frogs as pets. There are several reasons why this practice cannot be extended to the holding of native mammals as pets in NSW:Animal welfare concerns The NPWS believes that animal welfare considerations are very important in the keeping of any animal as a pet. The housing and husbandry needs of many native mammals are not well understood by the general public. There are many issues to consider when assessing the suitability of a species as a pet. For example: • Some native mammals, particularly wallabies and kangaroos, are very prone to stress-related diseases. These diseases can be brought on by contact with humans, domestic pets (cats and dogs) and by human-generated noise or machinery movement. • Many species need large outdoor enclosures. • Most native mammals are nocturnal. Some, such as possums and gliders, can really only be kept in fully enclosed outdoor aviary-type enclosures. • Some carnivorous species, such as
