Coexistence not killing

Wombats, kangaroos, cockatoos and dingoes, are all legally killed in Australia, usually because they are considered pests.  

They are trapped, shot, poisoned or otherwise killed, often causing widespread animal suffering, and risking the diversity and balance of our natural ecosystems.  

Our new report, Licence to Kill: The shocking scale of licensed wildlife killing in Australia, uncovers the alarming scale of licensed native wildlife killing in Australia. For the first time, the true extent of the crisis is revealed, showing that in 2023 alone, more than 1.2 million native animals were legally permitted to be killed under government-issued licences. The species most affected include beloved birds like corellas, lorikeets, and black ducks, as well as iconic mammals such as kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, and possums. Between 2021–2023, licences were granted to allow more than 4.5 million of these native animals to be killed. These figures do not even include the unlimited number of Bennett’s wallabies, Tasmanian pademelons, or brushtail possums that the Tasmanian Government allows private landholders to shoot and poison every year.  

Licence to Kill is a wake-up call to Australia’s governments and shows that our laws need urgent reform.

HSI is at the forefront of human-wildlife coexistence promoting non-lethal solutions to human conflicts with wildlife which are usually more effective. 

Non-lethal strategies include audio, visual and olfactory (smell) deterrents, wildlife friendly barriers such as netting, fences and gates, predator smart husbandry practices and guardian animals. 

We have worked with state governments to end the shooting of flying-foxes and help fruit growers by subsidising the installation of wildlife friendly netting to protect their fruit crops. 

We have developed a  guide to Predator Smart Farming  to help cattle and sheep farmers with smart tools and practices such as the use of guardian animals to deter dingoes instead of trapping, shooting and poisoning them.  

We are calling for an end to the licensed killing of all our precious native wildlife, because we know killing does not work and that coexistence is possible.  

We are urging state and territory governments to reform the laws that currently make it too easy to obtain licences to kill native wildlife and to instead insist on non-lethal alternatives. 

We advocate for modern approaches to wildlife management that favour coexistence over killing and working towards a brighter future that supports people, the planet and animals. 

Sign our petition and ask your Ministers to stop allowing landholders to kill native wildlife.  

Donate to support our work so we can continue to find non-lethal solutions and advocate for legislation that will better protect wildlife from cruelty, improve the wellbeing of animals and maintain ecosystem balance. 

Read the Licence to Kill report here

Read the Predator Smart Farming guide here