Is it legal to own a wallaby in the US?

Wallabies are Australian native animals and protected by law. Regardless of local laws in the US, it is actually illegal to own a wallaby anywhere. Many people do not realise this.

Theoretically, it is illegal to own Australian wildlife as, under Australian law, these animals are not permitted to be taken out of the country except under specific circumstances. It is unfortunate that people in many overseas countries ignore these Australian laws, while the authorities look the other way. Under Oregon law, for example, wallabies may be bought, sold, trade, bred, imported and exported without a licence. This is despite Australian laws which, for decades, have forbidden these creatures to be taken out of Australia.

The Australian government has only permitted the export of kangaroos and wallabies overseas for non-commercial purposes. This means that smaller, private zoos have been permitted to have them. Unfortunately, this has resulted in numerous kangaroos and wallabies escaping from their enclosures (due to mismanagement and lack of understanding of the animals' needs), causing the development of feral populations overseas.

Despite permitting the export of these animals, this still does not mean that kangaroos or wallabies may be kept as pets. Anyone who sells kangaroos or wallabies overseas is, in effect, flouting Australian law by exploiting them for commercial purposes.