Australian regulations - Statistics Australia

Statistics 2016 – Animal use in research and teaching, Australia

These statistics should be used for general purposes only. Figures will be updated as they become available.

The latest available figures, from 2016, show that:

  • In Victoria, 1,080,136 animals were used
  • In New South Wales, 4,977,239 animals were used
  • In Tasmania, 225,994 animals were used
  • In Queensland, 4,519,470 animals were used
  • In Western Australia, 933,242 animals were used.

 

Figures for 2016 are not available for South Australia, the Australian Capital Territory, or the Northern Territory. However, statistics available from previous years indicate that:

  • In South Australia, an average of 315,822 animals were used
  • In the Australian Capital Territory, an average of 122,628 animals were used
  • In the Northern Territory, an average of 160,792 animals were used

 

If figures for all states and territories are collated, this would bring the approximate total number of animals used in Australia in 2016 to over 12 million. Approximately 75% of these animals were used for observational studies, however this can still involve some harm to the animals involved.

2016 Statistics by Species

ANIMAL TYPE VIC NSW SA TAS QLD ACT WA NT TOTAL
Mouse 398,277 423,925 n/a 19,376 20 n/a 540,207 n/a 1,381,805
Rat 24,131 29,284 n/a 808 4 n/a 58,117 n/a 112,344
Guinea Pig 3,962 2,522 n/a n/a 547 n/a 7,031
Rabbit 1,464 1,649 n/a n/a 143 n/a 3,256
Other Lab Animals 3,223 51 n/a n/a n/a 3,274
Cat 597 1,230 n/a 538 n/a 188 n/a 2,553
Dog 2,945 4,275 n/a 14 1,172 n/a 464 n/a 8,870
Other Domestic 147 216 n/a n/a 127 n/a 490
Sheep 85,677 42,651 n/a 54 2,588 n/a 91,781 n/a 222,751
Cattle 21,822 49,687 n/a 2,184 23,821 n/a 1,932 n/a 99,446
Pig 6,849 32,989 n/a 1,525 n/a 1,913 n/a 43,276
Horse/Donkey 704 2,235 n/a 3 315 n/a 549 n/a 3,806
Other Stock Animals 2,536 254 n/a 1,155 n/a 4 n/a 3,949
Native Mammals 133,830 3,340,256 n/a 6,940 17,072 n/a 96,232 n/a 3,594,330
Exotic ‘feral’ Animals 2,346 15,351 n/a 581 14,201 n/a 22,441 n/a 54,920
Primates 181 96 n/a n/a 28 n/a 305
Domestic Fowl 21,919 78,262 n/a 12 3,891,780 n/a 614 n/a 3,992,587
Other Birds 47,636 214,572 n/a 57,492 182,620 n/a 84,852 n/a 587,172
Reptiles 3,044 18,196 n/a 1,327 76,409 n/a 15,430 n/a 114,406
Fish 294,950 670,498 n/a 136,989 295,307 n/a n/a 1,397,744
Amphibians 3,876 49,008 n/a 111 9,264 n/a 9,406 n/a 71,665
Other Aquatic Animals 19,989 n/a 103 1,679 n/a 8,091 n/a 29,862
Other 31 32 n/a 176 n/a 239
TOTALS 1,080,136 4,977,239   225,994  4,519,470   933,242   11,736,081

2016 Statistics by Procedure Severity

Of those animals used in 2016 that were reported (by only four states):

  • 22,689 (or 0.31%) were in the ‘Death as end point’ category

The aim of experiments in this category requires the animal(s) to die unassisted, i.e. not euthanased, as death is ‘a critical measure of the experimental treatment’. For example, toxicological experiments such as the LD50 test, in which animals are forced to ingest, inhale, be exposed to, or be injected with a particular substance up until the point where 50% of the animals die. The test is generally conducted without anesthesia or pain relief due to concern that they would alter test results.

  • 115,663 (or 1.6%) were in the ‘Major physiological challenge’ category

Experiments in this category require the animal(s) to remain conscious for some or all of the procedure. There is interference with the animal’s physiological or psychological processes. The challenge causes a moderate or large degree of pain/distress, which is not quickly or effectively alleviated. Examples include causing major infection, or artificially inducing cancer, without pain alleviation; isolation or environmental deprivation for extended periods; and monoclonal antibody production in mice.

  • 5,415,983 (or 75%) were in the ‘Observational studies involving minor interference’ category
SEVERITY OF PROCEDURE VIC NSW SA TAS QLD ACT WA NT TOTAL
Observational studies involving minor interference 453,951 4,030,182 169,834 762,016 5,415,983
Animal unconscious without recovery 109,385 87,443 12,233 10,316 219,377
Minor conscious intervention 251,491 432,697 24,296 70,788 779,272
Minor operative procedures with recovery 46,939 19,838 12,953 10,322 90,052
Surgery with recovery 43,968 16,082 507 4,129 64,686
Minor physiological challenge 85,982 92,516 2,380 19,873 200,751
Major physiological challenge 81,523 29,148 3,791 1,201 115,663
Death as an end point 6,897 15,741 51 22,689
Production of genetically modified animals 253,592 54,546 308,138
TOTALS 1,080,136 4,977,239   225,994  4,519,470   933,242   11,736,081

2016 Statistics by Project Purpose

PURPOSE OF PROJECT VIC NSW SA TAS QLD ACT WA NT TOTAL
Understanding human or animal biology 518,393 2,839,472 38,880 37,807 3,434,552
Maintenance and improvement of human or animal health and welfare 182,039 104,590 106,171 19,435 412,235
Improvement of animal management or production 109,120 111,880 9,198 35,740 265,938
Production of biological products 42,890 42,890
Diagnostic procedures 1,307 1,307
Achievement of educational objectives 51,771 39,301 3,977 54,558 149,607
Environmental study 218,813 1,539,475 67,768 216,823 2,042,879
Regulatory product testing 21,039 656 21,695
Stock Breeding 263,601 562,338 825,939
Stock Maintenance 13,684      5,885 19,569
TOTALS 1,080,136 4,977,239   225,994  4,519,470   933,242   11,736,081

Sources:

VIC

Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources, Statistics of Animal Use in Research and Teaching, Victoria, Report Number 34, 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2016. Published June 2018. See here for further analysis.

NSW

Animal Research Review Panel NSW, Annual Report 2016-2017. Published April 2018. See here for further analysis.

TAS

Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, Animal Research Statistics Tasmania, Annual Report Number 21(2016). Published September 2017.

Qld

DAF Animal Ethics Committees Annual Report Summary for the period 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017.
Note that no breakdown was available for Procedure Severity or Project Purpose as stats were provided as number of projects rather than numbers of animals used.

Western Australia

Data used to collate figures provided by the Department of Agriculture and Food WA (DAFWA), 2017. Note: Fish and cephalopods are not mandatory to report.

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