Hamsters are illegal?!

[NinaNobody]

In Australia?
Just read this and am wondering why?
It does say because of the ecosystems but how could pet hamsters affect that?

I mean hamsters are quite common pets here but they don't spill out into the wild? I've never seen a wild hamster?

Is there a more specific reason?

Maybe they haven't gotten over the devastation from the rabbits.

Why wouldn't you just Google it rather than ask on here? It's not opinions you're looking for, it's the factual reason, so not sure why you need someone else to tell you...

Or the cane toads

I think they are trying to avoid the problem that resulted from the introduction of pet camels.

Or the cats

You’ve already googled it and answered why they’re illegal, it’s pretty simple really

I did Google it but I thought there might be something specific like they are a danger to a certain animal or something. I thought someone in Australia might have some insight

I'm autistic and was just interested and when I find something interesting I like to talk it through with people and I don't really have anyone to ask in real life

Sorry I just thought it was a weird/interesting thing and other people might think so too :(

It was on Bondi vets

Oh just ignore the posters who appear to be on a CHAT forum but being horribly snarky to someone ... chatting

It is an interesting fact and one I wasn't aware of.

I didn't know that op it is interesting.

I wonder if there's other small rodent types they keep as pets instead?

The vet on Bondi said they do have pet rats and guinea pigs :)

I think he was doing some work in Asia at a clinic and was meeting a hamster for the first time. Which seems quite crazy to me, that a vet would have never seen a hamster!

I had no idea, how strange! I like learning things like this, thank you for sharing.

My DDs ancient hamster died this week 😢 he was a great little pet, very sweet natured and entertaining.

I'm not sure rats are really the same...

I'm so sorry :( How sad

I have pet rats and they are really lovely and intelligent.

I had no idea! But thanks for starting the thread as I want to know more now. Wonder if it's the only country to ban hamsters? 🐹

Plus Burmese pythons in the Everglades. Released when they go too large and are now decimating ecosystems.

Grey Squirrels in UK - destroyed our beautiful native Reds by bringing in Squirrel Pox.

There are gamekeepers who shoot and remove Greys to protect Native Reds, as they should.

Well I for one am off to Google the introduction of pet camels in Australia. You'd think the insurance would be a 'mare.

I expect if a hamster esacapes in the UK, the climate will ensure a timely death. In Aus the climate is more favourable and they can unbalance something in the eco system due to their ability to reproduce.

Probably can't survive in rainy UK.

We have Indian Parakeets that have completely changed the sound of West London.
They are everywhere, having driven the native species out - oak trees in Richmond park are now rammed with ring necked parakeets rather than woodpeckers and owls. 🦉 🦜🦜🦜🦜🦜🦜🦜🦜🦜🦜🦜🦜🦜🦜🦜🦜🦜

Grey Squirrels don't live in New Zealand, either.

Remote Islands such and Australia and New Zealand are very strict on biosecurity - wish we were in UK.

I'm Australian (but living in the UK for many years).

Preventing more non-native species from establishing themselves in the wild and harming our native wildlife is a massive deal in Australia, because we've seen the economic and ecological devastation they can cause - others have mentioned rabbits (I grew up in a state where pet rabbits are illegal), foxes, wild dogs, cats and pigs, blackberries, lantana, prickly pear, even flipping buffalo... it's estimated that invasive species have cost the agricultural economy over $390bn in the last 60 years.

And you can't trust people not to be stupid about these things. 20 years ago I had to work on a case where a dentist had red eared slider turtles/terrapins and had been giving baby ones as pets to his young patients. Some of the idiots released them into waterways when they didn't want them any more, and the risk to local species was absolutely huge. The eradication efforts cost a bomb too.

They weren't pets, they were introduced as beasts of burden in the 19th century, before they were replaced by motorised transport. Australia has the world's biggest feral camel population.

Australia has a long and bonkers history of someone thinking "oh, this might be interesting" and then finding that the interesting animal or plant adapts insanely well to Australia.

The turtle thing was a problem in the UK too. Both red eared sliders and snapping turtles were sold as pets and dumped when they got too large.

It’s because they’d survive and breed and become invasive in Australia. Our hamster wouldn’t last a night in our garden in the UK, it’s too cold.

Aw, poor little things. I didn't realise they were so dangerous either 🤣