Pest animals

Many non-native or introduced vertebrate animals have become established as unmanaged or feral populations across Australia. These animals have become pests locally or over wider areas. The reasons why they are pests include:

  • preying on domestic or farm animals
  • damaging crops and food production
  • posing a threat to native animals and ecosystems
  • being a nuisance and health hazard to people.

Some commonly kept animals have the potential to become pests if they are not managed or kept under licence or conditions. Some native animals are also potential pests in certain situations.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development manages pests in Western Australia through policy development, risk assessment, research and development, provision of technical advice and information, implementation of regulation, emergency response, property inspections, industry liaison, and the planning and coordination of significant species control/eradication programs.

For advice on pest animals search our website or contact our Pest and Disease Information Service (PaDIS).

Articles

  • Foxes can cause significant losses to some agricultural producers. They also prey on many native animals. The best option is to control foxes before they become a problem.

  • Under the BAM Act, landholders - landowners and occupiers - are responsible for the control of foxes, wild dogs, feral pigs, rabbits and emus on their properties.

  • The Bait and poison directory for vertebrate pests in Western Australia provides a starting point for landholders, pastoralists, retailers, manufacturers and/or wholesalers who want to supply or us

  • This article contains the booklet '1080 landholder information' and provides a general summary of a landholder’s obligations under the code of practice for the saf

  • Most bait products registered for use on wild dogs in Western Australia use sodium fluoroacetate (1080) as their active ingredient. Landholders have certain obligations under the code of practice f

  • This article provides information on using fumigation for rabbit control.

  • Landholders planning to grow broadacre, horticulture or tree crops or to preserve native vegetation need to control rabbits first. This article provides information about options for rabbit control

  • There are two toxins available for controlling pest rabbits in Western Australia: 1080 and pindone.

  • This article gives instructions for using poison baits and outlines other ways of maximising the number of baits taken by foxes.

  • This article provides information on control options for rabbits in urban and semi-urban areas in Western Australia.