Statistics: Animal use in research & teaching, Australia
These statistics should be used for general purposes only. Qld, Western Australia and NT figures have not yet been received, but going by the last available figures (589,047 in 2004 for Qld and 1,049,379 for WA in 2007), this would bring the total number of animals used to more than 6.9 million.
Figures will be updated as they become available.
2009 Statistics
| Type of animals | Vic | NSW | SA | Tas | Qld | ACT | WA | NT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mouse | 467,097 | 342,241 | 53,667 | 7,693 | n/a | 122,607 | n/a | n/a | 993,305 |
| Rat | 35,309 | 41,617 | 9,526 | 1,305 | n/a | 3,440 | n/a | n/a | 91,197 |
| Guinea Pig | 1,458 | 3,423 | 1,390 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 6,271 | ||
| Rabbit | 1,314 | 1,938 | 559 | n/a | 68 | n/a | n/a | 3,879 | |
| Other Lab Animals | 1,902 | 496 | 108 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 2,506 | ||
| Cat | 235 | 973 | 105 | n/a | 8 | n/a | n/a | 1321 | |
| Dog | 1,941 | 2,243 | 295 | 190 | n/a | 947 | n/a | n/a | 5,616 |
| Other Domestic | 2,906 | 51 | 376 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 3,333 | ||
| Sheep | 128,863 | 91,516 | 127,004 | 27,816 | n/a | 38 | n/a | n/a | 375,237 |
| Cattle | 22,436 | 64,644 | 3,000 | 314 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 90,394 | |
| Pig | 5,499 | 15,103 | 4,655 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 25,257 | ||
| Horse/Donkey | 877 | 2,466 | 66 | 8 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 3,417 | |
| Other Stock Animals | 970 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 970 | ||||
| Native Mammals | 12,932 | 331,106 | 6,248 | 23,594 | n/a | 785 | n/a | n/a | 374,665 |
| Exotic 'feral' Animals | 1,987 | 38,429 | 1,634 | 85 | n/a | 37 | n/a | n/a | 42,172 |
| Primates | 186 | 484 | 30 | n/a | 10 | n/a | n/a | 710 | |
| Domestic Fowl | 102,411 | 138,232 | 7,867 | n/a | 275 | n/a | n/a | 248,785 | |
| Other Birds | 41,330 | 355,347 | 7,257 | 8,980 | n/a | 2,610 | n/a | n/a | 415,524 |
| Reptiles | 2,449 | 14,444 | 4,866 | 1,241 | n/a | 2,036 | n/a | n/a | 25,036 |
| Fish | 1,374,627 | 51,333 | 150,705 | n/a | 520 | n/a | n/a | 1,577,185 | |
| Amphibians | 4,288 | 41,214 | 653 | 103 | n/a | 888 | n/a | n/a | 47,146 |
| Other Aquatic Animals | 44,972 | 926,918 | 4,356 | 1,044 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 977,290 | |
| Other | 57 | 36 | n/a | 12 | n/a | n/a | 105 | ||
| TOTALS | 2,255,076 | 2,413,891 | 284,995 | 223,078 | n/a | 134,281 | n/a | n/a | 5,311,321 |
NSW (Other Aquatic Animals): Unspecified
NSW and VIC (Other): Exotic zoo animals
ACT figures are from ANU and CSIRO only.
| Purpose of project | Vic | NSW | SA | Tas | Qld | ACT | WA | NT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Understanding human or animal biology | 761,274 | 161,300 | 39,072 | 20,300 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 981,946 |
| Maintenance and improvement of human or animal health and welfare | 242,132 | 350,635 | 40,107 | 36,777 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 669,651 |
| Improvement of animal management or production | 534,177 | 322,892 | 9,686 | 110,029 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 976,784 |
| Production of biological products | 104,126 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 104,126 | |||
| Diagnostic procedures | 1,967 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1,967 | |||
| Achievement of educational objectives | 82,936 | 105,788 | 177,615 | 9,098 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 375,437 |
| Environmental study | 634,557 | 982,458 | 18,515 | 46,874 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1,682,404 |
| Regulatory product testing | 46,177 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 46,177 | |||
| Stock Breeding | 63,757 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 63,757 | |||
| Stock Maintenance | 274,791 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 274,791 | |||
| Unspecified | n/a | 134,281 | n/a | n/a | 134,281 | ||||
| TOTALS | 2,255,076 | 2,413,891 | 284,995 | 223,078 | n/a | 134,281 | n/a | n/a | 5,311,321 |
n/a - Yet to be received
ACT did not provide a breakdown of purpose of project
| Severity of procedure | Vic | NSW | SA | Tas | Qld | ACT | WA | NT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Observational studies involving minor interference | 658,469 | 1,190,107 | 85,215 | 114,100 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 2,047,891 |
| Animal unconscious without recovery | 257,513 | 306,277 | 13,891 | 5,572 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 583,253 |
| Minor conscious intervention | 637,018 | 548,374 | 34,787 | 83,087 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 1,303,266 |
| Minor operative procedures with recovery | 56,031 | 30,661 | 118,528 | 9,744 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 214,964 |
| Surgery with recovery | 30,417 | 13,426 | 2,680 | 121 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 46,644 |
| Minor physiological challenge | 59,912 | 177,767 | 13,819 | 2,863 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 254,361 |
| Major physiological challenge | 555,389 | 19,127 | 9,191 | 6,826 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 590,533 |
| Death as an end point | 327 | 23,813 | 6,884 | 765 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 31,789 |
| Production of genetically modified animals | 104,339 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 104,339 | |||
| Unspecified | n/a | 134,281 | n/a | n/a | 134,281 | ||||
| TOTALS | 2,255,076 | 2,413,891 | 284,995 | 223,078 | n/a | 134,281 | n/a | n/a | 5,311,321 |
n/a - Yet to be received
ACT did not provide a breakdown of severity of procedure
Sources:
VIC
Department of Primary Industries, Statistics of Animal Use in Research and Teaching Victoria, Report Number 27, 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2009.
NSW
Animal Research Review Panel NSW, Annual Report 2009-2010, July 2011.
SA
Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Animals Used for Research and Teaching in South Australia 2009, February 2011.
TAS
Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, Animal Research Statistics Tasmania, Annual Report Number 14 (2009), September 2010.
QLD
Yet to be received.
ACT
- On an annual basis, no ACT-wide statistics are compiled. Personal correspondence from Chief Minister, 22 September 2010.
- Personal correspondence from Executive Officer - Animal Experimentation Ethics Committee, Australian National University, 7 October 2010.
- Personal correspondence from Manager, Public Affairs and Communication - CSIRO Livestock Industries, 28 October 2010.
WA
No WA-wide statistics are available. Phone conversation with Department of Local Government, 7 October 2010.
NT
Statistics are not yet available. No indication given of when (or if) they will be available. Phone conversation with Animal Welfare Unit, 7 October 2010.
