You will need a permit to keep rescued protected animals that are unfit for release into the wild. A protected animal includes any species of mammal, bird or reptile which is:
- indigenous to Australia
- migratory and occasionally migrates to, and lives in, Australia
- specified as a protected species in the legislation.
You will be authorised under this permit to keep protected animals brought into captivity for rehabilitation but deemed unsuitable for release into the wild. You will be authorised to keep:
- two or more unfit animals listed in the Regulations as 'basic species', which are defined as being common in captivity and / or in their natural habitat, and which keeping and selling has little impact on naturally occurring populations
- unfit specialist species (specified on your permit), which are not listed though are generally difficult to keep, threatened, or rare.
Please contact the agency for more information.