westielover Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 (edited) I was curious as to why a crowd was gathering around a cage at the pet store at Macquarie Centre today ..... went to have a look and was mortified to see a cage with a few 'Indian Palm Squirrels' !!! (They have puppies and kitten there of course as well). Aaaaanyway - I quizzed the girl behind the counter asking if they had to have a licence to sell these kind of animals and she said they do. Then I asked what they were like as pets and if they could be handled. She replied she wasn't sure what they were like as pets but would find out once they sold a few. Signs on the cage along the lines of 'we're scared and will bite'. The girl says that you can feed the squirrels through the cage wire but wouldn't really recommend handling them!!!!!!!! I googled Indian Palm Squirrels and found that they are actually a pest in and aren't supposed to be imported into Australia. A zoo in WA has them but there are apparantly none in eastern Australia. Anyway - I was really cranky, so called the Yagoona RSPCA and was advised they had numerous calls about these squirrels but the pet shop apparantly has a licence to import and sell them here and there is nothing the RSPCA can do about it 'much to their disgust'. :D Considering these animals are supposed to be a pest I find it unbelievable that this shop has a licence to import and sell them!!! They are wild animals and it seems that the only life they will have is in a cage and no doubt when people get pissed off with not being able to handle them - they will probably be released into the bush!! Anyone on this forum from AQIS who may know more about the import rules with regard to pests??? Oh .... the asking price is $1250 per squirrel - so at least that will put most people off! Edited June 5, 2010 by westielover Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirty Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 That is disgusting. Can you imagine the damage they might do if they escaped? Absolutely ridiculous. Apparently there are wild (pest) squirrels in WA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kendall Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 (edited) I would maybe contact AQIS and let them know - surely you can't import a known 'pest' animal as you say. What licences do the people buying them need> I wonder if it is the same as the bird and reptile ones? Yep they can be found running around Perth Zoo (I think it freaks a few tourists out thinking that there are escaped animals!). I imagine the damage to the wild if they do get released will be the same as the dumped fish in the waterways etc etc Edited June 5, 2010 by kendall Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirty Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 I just found this on a WA website. Wonder if it applies to other states? They are classified as A1 and A3 which means: Declaration categories under the Agriculture and Related Resources Protection Act 1976 A1 Entry prohibited. A3 Keeping prohibited. http://www.agric.wa.gov.au/objtwr/imported...ulletin4604.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monah Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 Contact authorities immediately, email if you cannot get someone on the phone!! Quarrantine or even your local animal control officer/council. this is an offence, a dangerous one, not just about having animals in cages etc. Please report this ASAP before any are sold. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaymatt Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 Unbelievable Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kendall Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 (edited) I just did some googling and 'apparently' there is guy who has a licence to breed them and sell them to pet shops (been doing so for a while by the looks??). Don't know how correct that is though as I couldn't find anything to say what kind of licence you could get. I guess this how they get around it - by not actually importing them. Kirty is correct though - definitely not allowed to keep them in WA. They are cute little critters so I can see the appeal to people out there Very wrong though AQIS site says you can't import rodents - which is what these little guys are. http://www.daff.gov.au/aqis/cat-dogs/other Edited June 5, 2010 by kendall Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janba Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 (edited) I think you'll find these are bred by the man at Berkshire Park not imported. http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/archive/news-rel...legal-squirrels They may only be kept under the authority of a licence issued by the NSW DPI or if the animals are numerically identified by ear tattoo or microchip and the owner holds a certificate from a registered veterinary surgeon that certifies the animals have been sterilised. ETA I am not for animals like this being sold as pets but if they are licenced to sell them and comply with the regulations of selling them desexed and microchipped (which is more than they do for the puppies and kittens) there is not much you can do. Edited June 5, 2010 by Janba Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kendall Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 http://www.daff.gov.au/feedback?query=ba Biosecurity contact form Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monah Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monah Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 Yes, well I've contacted them, just in case, and also asked WHY? (if legal). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 (edited) Good for you. I would almost bet the squirrels are not desexed .. .perhaps play customer and phone an enquiry thru ? My guess is owners would need a license etc as well? Edited June 5, 2010 by persephone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~*Shell*~ Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 Unfortunately the pet store in mac centre is one of the bad ones - when I walked in there a couple of years ago they were selling siberian huskies and malamutes at the time. Not only did I hear the girl tell the owner that both breeds "don't shed that much" but she also told them that "there's really no difference between the breeds, they're about the same size, it's just that some people in america didn't want to call them siberian" Needless to say she got an earful - I haven't been in there since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Flying Furball Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 I just googled to have a look and remembered these little blighters from my years in India. They are very flighty and would escape soooo easily. I came across another animal forum discussing this very topic, seeing them in pet shops and asking about the "pest" aspect, and apparently only males are sold to avoid anyone else trying to breed them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kyliegirl Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 that begs the question, how can you tell the males from females ? they would have to wait until they are of mature age before selling to know.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirislin Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 (edited) I am amazed they are allowed to sell squirrels! Only a matter of time before they escape and become a feral pest like so many others. Edited June 5, 2010 by Kirislin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macka Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 I hate that pet store. I work just across the road from Mac centre so I'm there quite a lot. It recently closed for renovations and I was sooo so hoping that they were getting rid of the animals and expanding their retail space.... but no. They still sell puppies and kittens. I haven't seen the squirrels. How terrible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~JoLu~ Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 OMG You can see those squirrels not only running freely around the Perth Zoo, but the surrounding South Perth suburb. These squirrels were released in the grounds of the South Perth Zoo in 1898 and have gradually colonized an area of about 30 square km. Some animals have turned up away from South Perth, but all are thought to have been recaptured and destroyed. WA Ag Dept Sheet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirislin Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 I cannot see how they were allowed to be brought over from the west. Just because they're already feral in some part of Australia shouldn't mean they can come over east to be sold. Absolutely a disaster waiting to happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest belgian.blue Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 OMG You can see those squirrels not only running freely around the Perth Zoo, but the surrounding South Perth suburb.These squirrels were released in the grounds of the South Perth Zoo in 1898 and have gradually colonized an area of about 30 square km. Some animals have turned up away from South Perth, but all are thought to have been recaptured and destroyed. WA Ag Dept Sheet I was about to post, the Perth Zoo is full of them running wild! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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