Quolls should replace domestic cats in Australian households.
That is the view of Liberal Democratic Party Senator David Leyonhjelm who would like to see the introduction of private ownership for native wildlife, given that 11 per cent of Australia's native mammals have become extinct in the past 200 years.
In a bid to preserve native mammal populations and prevent the extinction of any more endangered species, Senator Leyonhjelm said individuals should be able to care and look after native animals such as quolls and bilbies.
"Certain kinds of wallabies make great pets. The quoll may replace domestic cats," Senator Leyonhjelm said in a speech to the Senate. "The bilby is often nominated as a great candidate for domestication.
"In the right circumstances, possums, Tasmanian devils, wombats, native rats, antechinus and bandicoots would also be great pets."
Senator Leyonhjelm made the point that these kinds of animals were owned by everyone but belonged to no one. He believed people should be given the option to protect these species from dangers in the wild.
"The long-term survival of at least some Australian animals is assured because they are kept as household pets in other countries," Senator Leyonhjelm said.
"Just as cats and dogs are in no danger of dying out, the same will be true if native animals are privately owned. It means they have value."
Given the responsibility which would come with looking after some of these native animals, Senator Leyonhjelm conceded it might be an onerous task, but ultimately a rewarding one.
"There is no disputing that some native animals may make unsuitable pets, at least in certain situations," he said.
"Many are nocturnal, for example, which might require us to adjust our own sleeping habits to enjoy them."
Senator Leyonhjelm does not explicitly want animals taken from the wild, but rather for them to be looked after for and domesticated like any other normal pet.
