While most animals that are pests in Australia and New Zealand are non-native species, not all pest animals are introduced. Some native species such as kangaroos and some parrots are considered to cause significant economic or environmental damage. Ironically, many Australian animals have been released in New Zealand and some like the brush-tailed possum have become a serious pest.

Click on the links in the species list to the right to find out more information on some pest animals in Australia and New Zealand. Note that this list covers only a selected list of pest species in Australia and New Zealand, mainly the more common pests. More species will be added as the site is further developed. More information on these and other pest species may be found by searching the database.

Definitions

What is a pest? A pest is an animal that causes significant damage to a valued resource. The pest status of an animal can change with time, between areas or according to the perception of the assessor. What might be one persons pest might be another’s valued resource. Native animals such as kangaroos and possums can be a pest in some situations.

What is a feral animal? Strictly a feral animal is a non-native animal that has escaped from captivity and established a self-sustaining population independent of humans. Hence wild horses, pigs and cats are feral, while foxes and rabbits are not as these latter two animals were deliberately released to establish wild populations. However, the word is now generally applied to any non-native animal that causes serious damage to human interests, and is how the word is used in this web site.

What is an exotic animal? An exotic animal is an animal that is outside its natural range. It may be an animal that has been introduced to Australia or New Zealand from another country, or it may be an animal that has been translocated to another part of Australia or New Zealand. For example kookaburras have been introduced to south-west Western Australia.

Invasive Species (IUCN definition): Invasive species are organisms (usually transported by humans) which successfully establish themselves in, and then overcome, otherwise intact, pre-existing native ecosystems.