Keeping Native Mammals – their last chance to avoid extinction!

Animal Care Australia (ACA) has members from several States who represent a unique pet keeping group – those who keep and breed native mammals.

Did you know that people in South Australia & Victoria have been actively keeping and breeding kangaroos, dunnarts, gliders, possums and native rodents for almost fifty years? Native mammals can also be kept in Northern Territory and their keeping is being reviewed in both NSW & Qld. The husbandry and techniques involved in keeping native mammals has quickly evolved substantially improving the welfare outcomes and has made keeping native mammals no different to keeping any other pet.

With the massive destruction of habitat and the ongoing battles to fight against predation by feral species, private keeping of our endangered native species may be the last chance of avoiding extinction in this country.

Despite the lengthy amount of time these animals have been kept in backyards of some States, along with the undeniable fact native mammals can be kept as pets, animal rights and other organisations still refuse to accept extending this privilege to NSW & Qld is in the best interests of the animals, conservation and education of our society.

With this in mind Animal Care Australia added a Native Mammal Representative position to our Committee in 2019.

Michael Donnelly is the current representative on the ACA committee and is also the President of Animal Care Australia. He is a founding member and Public Officer of the Mammal Society of NSW, and a founding member and previous Secretary of the Herpetocultural Cooperative NSW (HCN) which represents all the Herpetological Societies of NSW. Michael has participated in the ongoing licensing review consultations in NSW as well as participating in consultations with the Department of Industries in their Review of NSW Prevention Of Cruelty To Animals (POCTA) Act.

On a personal level he has kept both NSW species of native mammals for a number of years, as well as reptiles for over 15 years, and birds for more than 40 years, and is the Founder of the Pet Owners Are Not Pet Shops Facebook movement that was established during the 2017/2018 attempt to change animal keeping conditions, standards & guidelines within POCTA.

We encourage all native mammal keepers and breeders along with Clubs and Societies to join ACA.

For more information please contact Michael or join ACA: