Why is a koala a bad pet?

Answer 1

The question is purely academic because it is illegal to own a koala as a pet. Only certain animal sanctuaries and zoos can have koalas, with a special licence.

If koala ownership were legalised, there would be many starving koalas. Most people would not recognise the right sort of eucalyptus leaves a koala needs to feed on.

Answer 2

Quite simply, koalas are a protected species. This means it is illegal to have a koala. Few people understand the needs of a koala, and opening up native animals to being owned as pets leads the way to abuse.

Such abuse of exotic animals has happened far too often overseas, where pet sugar gliders are subject to abuse. Notice how Australia does not allow ownership of sugar gliders, even though they are native to the country, so pet shops and animal shelters here are not filled with abused and neglected native animals.

Answer 3

They shouldn't.

Koalas are protected native animals, and may not be kept as pets, just as no native species in Australia should be kept as pets, when there are so many domesticated animals already being abused through neglect and lack of understanding of their needs. Koalas have specialised needs, and few would understand how to look after them. This has been the case where sugar gliders, which are native to Australia and not permitted to be kept as pets in that country, have been misunderstood where they have been kept as pets overseas. Sugar gliders in captivity are known to eat their young, something that does not happen when they are in the wild, and not stressed by the confines of captivity.

Answer 4

Koalas are protected native animals. It is illegal to keep them for this reason, and also for the reason that they have a very specialised diet. Only people with sufficient knowledge of a koala's needs (such as registered sanctuaries and zoos) are permitted to have koalas.

All Australian native mammals are protected by law, and it is illegal to keep them without going through the proper laws and channels.