Table 7.

Published Australian protocols for releasing or not releasing rehabilitated native fauna to the wild.

State/Territory	Release to the Wild Required	Assessment of Suitability for Release Required	Action on Non-Releasable Wildlife	Allowed to Be Kept Permanently in Captivity
ACT	Yes [96] (Section 18 Pt 2 Section 3)	No	Non-releasable animals which are inappropriate for education, foster-parenting, or captive breeding have a right to euthanasia [89]	Yes, under conditions [2]
NSW	A biodiversity conservation licence under Division 3 required [10] (No 63 Part 2.6)	Yes. To be carried out by a wildlife veterinarian or an experienced rehabilitator [11]	Animal must be euthanased or referred to the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water [11]	Yes, given specified conditions can be met [11]
NT	Must release to wild unless a permit to keep is issued [14]	No	Euthanase [14]	Yes. Permit required [14]
QLD	Only if wildlife is assessed as physically and behaviourally fit to be released [91]	Yes. To be carried out by a wildlife veterinarian or an experienced rehabilitator [91]	Euthanase or refer to authority [19]	Yes. Permit to keep wildlife can be issued under specified purposes or a recreational wildlife licence to keep a prescribed protected animal for recreational purposes (i.e., as a pet) [80]
SA	National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 (SA) Permit to release required [21]	No. The release of long-term captive animals is rarely justified on conservation or animal welfare grounds [101]	Rescued protected wildlife which cannot be released or retained with a good expectation of quality of life must be euthanased	Permits are available to take protected wildlife from the wild, to keep wildlife as pets and to buy and sell wildlife [21]
TAS	The Secretary must be notified prior to the intended release of any animal referred to on a permit [28]	Details of the process for the release of protected wildlife and the common wombat should be provided to conservation branch prior to release [28]	No direction given	Permits required for partly or wholly protected species Brushtail possums, Bennett’s wallabies and pademelons can be kept without a permit [27]
VIC	Victorian Wildlife Shelter and Foster Carer Authorisation Guide Condition 21. Yes, must release wildlife within 24 h of it being ready for release (condition 21)	All animals to be released must be inspected by a veterinarian or experienced wildlife rehabilitator [33]	Wildlife that cannot be released must be euthanased [100] (condition 22)	No. Note: only legal to keep certain classes of wild pigs as pets [31,32]
WA	Yes. A person who keeps fauna under sub regulation (1) must release it	Self-regulated. Advice on release evaluation given [38]	Must give the animal to appropriate authority	Not allowed [36]