Categories of animals that can be exhibited

There are 3 categories of animals under the Exhibited Animals Act 2015 (EAA): category A, B and C (category C is sub-divided into C1 and C2).

Category A animals

Category A are animals categorised under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 (NCA) as native wildlife, which may be obtained under a native animal keeping licence. You will need to develop a management plan if you are proposing to deal with these animals for the purposes of exhibit.

Because there are fewer risks associated with many category A animal species, management plan requirements are not as stringent compared to other categories. Examples of category A species are the woma python (Aspidites ramsayi), carpet python (Morelia spilota) and the common bearded dragon (Pogona barbata).

Category B animals

Category B animals are all other native wildlife which cannot be obtained under a recreational wildlife licence under the NCA, such as the kangaroo, koala and crocodile species. The dingo (Canis lupus dingo) and European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) are the only non-indigenous category B species.

You will need to develop a management plan for each species if you are proposing to deal with these animals for the purposes of exhibiting to the public. All category B animals to be exhibited outside of the regular enclosure site must be identifiable by a third party. This can be achieved by microchipping or using another approved identification device recorded in the Exhibited Animals Regulation 2016 (the Regulation).

Category C animals

Non-indigenous species are classified as prohibited matter under the Biosecurity Act 2014. Mammals, reptiles and amphibians which are prohibited matter pose a high risk to Australia's natural environment, and additional risk mitigation measures must be met.

Category C1 animals

A number of prohibited matter species are categorised as C1 animal species. These are regulated under the Act and may be obtained for mobile exhibition for exhibiting to the public. Unlike category C2 species, there are no requirements for the licence holder to exhibit category C1 species at the premises where the licence is issued to (regular enclosure site). Instead, licence holders meet their exhibit requirements through mobile exhibition off the regular enclosure site.

Given that category C1 species will be constantly moved off the regular enclosure site for the purpose of exhibit, they pose a greater risk of escape and establishment compared to C2 species.

Category C1 species in the Regulation have been assessed to ensure they have a low risk of establishment in the event of escape. If an establishment did occur, the species would pose no more than a moderate risk of adverse impacts on the health, safety or wellbeing of a person, social amenity, the economy or the environment.

Category C2 animals

All prohibited matter animal species are categorised as C2 species, unless identified under another category. Species such as the green iguana (Iguana iguana), common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus), tiger (Panthera tigris) and boa constrictor (Boa constrictor) are examples of non-indigenous species listed as category C2 species. These species must be held in a regular enclosure and exhibited to the public at the regular enclosure site.

Livestock

Animal species deemed as livestock and domestic animals do not require a licence for the purposes of exhibit, however, there may be other requirements under the Biosecurity Act 2014 that you must adhere to when keeping or moving animal species such as camels, alpacas, sheep and other livestock.

Read about requirements for the keeping and movement of livestock and other domestic animals or phone 13 25 23.

Also consider...

• Additional requirements stipulated in policies and standard operating procedures
• Contact us for more information.