Australian regulations - Statistics Australia

Statistics 2010 – Animal use in research and teaching, Australia

These statistics should be used for general purposes only. Queensland, Western Australia, Australian Capital Territory, and Northern Territory figures have not yet been received, but going by an average of figures available from previous years (1,202,343 for QLD, 980,429 for WA, 122,628 for the ACT, and 160,792 in 2009 for the NT), this would bring the total number of animals used to more than 6.2 million.

Figures will be updated as they become available.

2010 Statistics

Type of animals Vic NSW SA Tas Qld ACT WA NT Total
Mouse 503,934 337,214 50,330 6,484 n/a n/a n/a n/a 898,040
Rat 30,694 44,790 7,898 1,056 n/a n/a n/a n/a 84,574
Guinea Pig 3,905 5,860 719 n/a n/a n/a n/a 10,484
Rabbit 1,558 1,638 888 2 n/a n/a n/a n/a 4,115
Other Lab Animals 2,933 5 161 n/a n/a n/a n/a 3,099
Cat 439 397 1,334 n/a n/a n/a n/a 2,170
Dog 2,831 2,694 1,787 560 n/a n/a n/a n/a 7,872
Other Domestic 682 4,612 51 n/a n/a n/a n/a 5,345
Sheep 132,868 69,984 125,196 414 n/a n/a n/a n/a 328,527
Cattle 25,587 25,469 3,649 353 n/a n/a n/a n/a 55,058
Pig 961 20,297 16,063 n/a n/a n/a n/a 37,321
Horse/Donkey 1,206 2,804 381 n/a n/a n/a n/a 4,391
Other Stock Animals 1,814 1,211 229 n/a n/a n/a n/a 3,254
Native Mammals 13,373 64,223 7,804 18,060 n/a n/a n/a n/a 103,925
Exotic ‘feral’ Animals 3,409 5,318 5,327 264 n/a n/a n/a n/a 14,403
Primates 282 184 30 n/a n/a n/a n/a 496
Domestic Fowl 21,730 72,878 20,247 2 n/a n/a n/a n/a 114,857
Other Birds 26,173 503,907 12,680 7,736 n/a n/a n/a n/a 550,959
Reptiles 5,143 18,328 9,441 1,444 n/a n/a n/a n/a 34,356
Fish 778,759 118,854 56,747 n/a n/a n/a n/a 954,360
Amphibians 7,072 54,992 803 6 n/a n/a n/a n/a 62,873
Other Aquatic Animals 30,009 409,917 9,420 n/a n/a n/a n/a 449,346
Other 13 27 n/a n/a n/a n/a 40
TOTALS 1,595,375 1,646,749 393,292 93,128 n/a n/a n/a n/a 3,729,865

VIC (Other Lab Animals) : Including 1,145 ferrets

NSW and VIC (Other): Exotic zoo animals

NSW (Other Aquatic Animals): Unspecified

Purpose of project Vic NSW SA Tas Qld ACT WA NT Total
Understanding human or animal biology 455,318 158,880 48,177 16,451 n/a n/a n/a n/a 678,826
Maintenance and improvement of human or animal health and welfare 217,541 302,769 26,978 10,501 n/a n/a n/a n/a 557,789
Improvement of animal management or production 264,358 71,722 60,890 11,189 n/a n/a n/a n/a 408,159
Production of biological products 19,568 n/a n/a n/a n/a 19,568
Diagnostic procedures 3,630 n/a n/a n/a n/a 3,630
Achievement of educational objectives 97,117 43,344 170,891 18,838 n/a n/a n/a n/a 330,190
Environmental study 561,041 901,502 86,356 36,149 n/a n/a n/a n/a 1,585,048
Regulatory product testing 42,302 n/a n/a n/a n/a 42,302
Stock Breeding 75,867 n/a n/a n/a n/a 75,867
Stock Maintenance 27,165 n/a n/a n/a n/a 27,165
Unspecified n/a n/a n/a n/a 0
TOTALS 1,595,375 1,646,749 393,292 93,128 n/a n/a n/a n/a 3,728,544

n/a – Yet to be received

Severity of procedure Vic NSW SA Tas Qld ACT WA NT Total
Observational studies involving minor interference 534,070 760,592 135,548 12,143 n/a n/a n/a n/a 1,442,353
Animal unconscious without recovery 124,243 143,155 34,950 23,341 n/a n/a n/a n/a 325,689
Minor conscious intervention 514,938 459,712 152,406 35,307 n/a n/a n/a n/a 1,162,363
Minor operative procedures with recovery 63,158 35,763 6,077 12,367 n/a n/a n/a n/a 117,365
Surgery with recovery 33,355 25,823 3,468 163 n/a n/a n/a n/a 62,809
Minor physiological challenge 92,711 79,070 13,236 4,903 n/a n/a n/a n/a 189,920
Major physiological challenge 230,585 22,625 8,030 4,533 n/a n/a n/a n/a 265,773
Death as an end point 2,315 17,465 39,577 371 n/a n/a n/a n/a 59,728
Production of genetically modified animals 98,386 n/a n/a n/a n/a 98,386
Unspecified 4158 n/a n/a n/a n/a 4,158
TOTALS 1,595,375 1,646,749 393,292 93,128 n/a n/a n/a n/a 3,728,544

n/a – Yet to be received

Slight discrepancy (of 4158) between the total of NSW procedures by severity (1,642,588), and the totals for NSW procedures by animal type and purpose (both 1,646,749).

Sources:

VIC

Department of Primary Industries, Statistics of Animal Use in Research and Teaching Victoria, Report Number 28, 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2010.

NSW

Animal Research Review Panel NSW, Annual Report 2010-2011, November 2011.

SA

Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources response to FOI external review received April 2017. It has been acknowledged that the SA statistics are incomplete and that the majority of animals used have not been reported as it is not a legal requirement in South Australia.

TAS

Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, Animal Research Statistics Tasmania, Annual Report Number 15 (2010), September 2011.

QLD

Yet to be received.

ACT

On an annual basis, no ACT-wide statistics are compiled. Correspondence from Animal Welfare Policy, AWAC Secretariet, 6 February 2014.

WA

No WA-wide statistics are available. Phone conversation with Department of Agriculture and Food, WA, 23 March 2014.

NT

Statistics are not yet available.  No indication given of when (or if) they will be available. Phone conversation with NT Government 26 June 2014.

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