What do you think of having a tiger quoll as a pet? Source: Supplied
EVERY now and then an idea comes along that shatters conventional wisdom.
A NSW senator thinks he has one of those ideas.
In Parliament this week, he proposed that we embrace a new variety of house pet, in place of our traditional feline friends.
David Leyonhjelm is not suggesting that we kick Fluffy to the curb but he is suggesting that adopting quolls (a carnivorous marsupial) as family pets would help save a native species as population numbers become worryingly low.
The Liberal Democratic Party senator said allowing for the domestication of certain species, such as the quoll and the bilby, would ensure their survival.
"Certain kinds of wallabies make great pets. The quoll may replace domestic cats," he told the Senate.
"In the right circumstances, possums, Tasmanian devils, wombats, native rats, antechinus and bandicoots would also be great pets," he said.
Mr. Leyonhjelm has an adorable cat himself, but keeping any of Australia's native animals as a pet is strictly illegal.
A mature tiger quoll enjoying the sun. Source: Supplied
Singling out the quoll as an ideal candidate, Senator Leyonhjelm believes if the animal is privately owned, they will be viewed by society as having more "value".
"Just as cats and dogs are in no danger of dying out, the same will be true if native animals are privately owned," he said.
Australia has the worst mammal extinction rate in the world and Mr. Leyonhjelm views the idea as a viable safeguard, in certain cases.
Professor Michael Archer from the University of New South Wales agrees. He is an expert in Mammalogy, Conservation Biology and DeExtinction and says that Senator Leyonhjelm's proposal is "excellent."
Mr. Archer has kept quolls at his house in the past and says they can be the "perfect" pet.
Provided there was a breeding mechanism to make quolls available for domestic sale, he believes it would provide "a reservoir or safety net for the species" against the real threat of extinction.
Mr. Archer told news.com.au that quolls are absolutely happy in a domestic environment and "bond really quickly." In the face of dwindling habitats for the animal he sees it as "morally bereft not to explore parallel strategies."
Environment Minister Ian Hunter with 4 month old quoll "Tucker" at the Adelaide Zoo last year. Source: News Corp Australia
However, not everyone thinks it is a good idea. Greens environment spokesperson Senator Larissa Waters said Senator Leyonhjelm's suggestion undermines scientific evidence and amounted to an attack on national parks.
"The suggestion that the only way to save native wildlife is to domesticate it, is ludicrous," she told the ABC.
A spokesperson for the RSPCA responded to news.com.au with a statement saying they are opposed to the idea of people keeping quolls, or any other wild animal as pets. "In many cases they require specialised husbandry and facilities to mimic their natural environment and meet their physiological and ecological requirements. Most people do not have the skills, experience and facilities to do this," the organisation said.
Such a position was rubbished by Mr. Archer who said it amounts to an "abuse of the cautionary principle."
"I don't know of any legitimate negatives," he said before pointing out that eastern quolls and tiger quolls were legally allowed to be kept as pets in the state of Victoria.
Endangered Spotted Tailed Quoll at Serendip Sanctuary. Source: News Corp Australia
There are four species of quoll in Australia — the northern, spotted-tailed, eastern and western quolls. Once upon a time a majority of Australia was inhabited by at least one of the species but due to the loss of habitats, numbers have declined dramatically in the past century.
At least on the surface, senator Leyonhjelm's idea warrants robust discussion.
There's no doubt that Australians are enamoured with many species of our cuddlier fauna. With all the attentions quokkas have been receiving on social media lately, it's not hard to see them becoming a potential favourite of households around Australia.
Quokkas exist in the South West of Australia and due to their social disposition and smiley appearance have been dubbed "the happiest animal in the world." However sadly, they too are on the endangered list.
Senator Leyonhjelm's idea would hope to change that and while some people might be keen to own a quokka, or a quoll as a pet, laws in Australia continue to prohibit it. Which is a shame because they're so darn cute.
Hay mate
A photo posted by @marty.h on
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