Statistics 2005 - Animal use in research & teaching, Australia
The following tables are comprised of the latest available statistics of animal use in research and teaching in Australia. These statistics should be used for general purposes only.
As at the time of posting, Queensland and Northern Territory statistics had not been obtained. In the 2004 year, these totaled 589,047, which suggest the national 2005 figure to be approx. 5.45 million animals.
Figures will be updated as they become available
| Type of animals | Vic | NSW | SA | Tas | ACT | WA | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mouse | 362,520 | 127,636 | 31,538 | 2,281 | 85,340 | 240,740 | 850,055 |
| Rat | 40,741 | 35,844 | 9,115 | 1,813 | 3,157 | 31,768 | 122,438 |
| Guinea Pig | 9,921 | 3,771 | 1,044 | 4 | 228 | 184 | 15,152 |
| Rabbit | 2,504 | 2,366 | 738 | 10 | 68 | 47 | 5,733 |
| Other lab animals | 1,018 | 3 | 305 | 41 | 1,367 | ||
| Cat | 425 | 347 | 160 | 8 | 230 | 1,170 | |
| Dog | 1,308 | 2,527 | 100 | 11 | 861 | 4,807 | |
| Other domestic | |||||||
| Sheep | 34,253 | 47,054 | 30,679 | 7,251 | 397 | 21,561 | 141,195 |
| Cattle | 24,978 | 12,724 | 943 | 722 | 1,088 | 40,455 | |
| Pig | 7,466 | 12,716 | 1,264 | 9 | 3,292 | 24,747 | |
| Horse/donkey | 5,829 | 1,380 | 275 | 3,046 | 10,530 | ||
| Other stock animals | 739 | 545 | 848 | 22 | 2,154 | ||
| Native mammals | 7,845 | 163,232 | 4,842 | 2,540 | 47 | 10,871 | 189,377 |
| Exotic ‘feral’ animals | 199 | 6,534 | 890 | 117 | 143 | 12,183 | 20,066 |
| Primates | 140 | 167 | 50 | 357 | |||
| Domestic fowl | 227,635 | 696,335 | 8,855 | 713 | 2,059 | 935,597 | |
| Other birds | 58,733 | 260,594 | 26,635 | 51,501 | 356 | 14,026 | 411,845 |
| Reptiles | 2,116 | 11,158 | 7,607 | 1,334 | 347 | 9,374 | 31,936 |
| Fish | 748,963 | 23,325 | 36,457 | 174 | 94,785 | 903,704 | |
| Amphibians | 5,404 | 1,090 | 419 | 605 | 7,518 | ||
| Other aquatic animals | 17,599 | 1,048,814* | 494 | 7,227 | 67,519 | 1,141,653 | |
| Other | 4 | 338 | 342 | ||||
| Totals | 1,560,340 | 2,434,085 | 150,747 | 111,676 | 91,603 | 513,747 | 4,862,198 |
* includes all aquatic animals
Note that ACT and WA did not provide a breakdown of purpose and severity of experiments. The following tables will therefore not reflect the same total as that of species used.
| Purpose of project | Vic | NSW | SA | Tas | ACT | WA | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Understanding human or animal biology | 350,991 | 153,318 | 42,020 | 29,558 | - | - | 575,887 |
| Maintenance and improvement of human or animal health and welfare | 331,551 | 66,966 | 23,616 | 8,378 | - | - | 430,511 |
| Improvement of animal management or production | 700,027 | 78,647 | 42,907 | 65,607 | - | - | 887,188 |
| Production of biological products | - | 58,295 | - | - | - | - | 58,295 |
| Diagnostic procedures | - | 1,739 | - | - | - | - | 1,739 |
| Achievement of educational objectives | 38,527 | 628,793 | 20,797 | 5,410 | - | 72,595 | 766,122 |
| Environmental study | 139,244 | 1,394,203 | 21,407 | 2,723 | - | - | 1,557,577 |
| Unspecified | - | 52,124 | - | - | 91,603 | 441,152 | 584,879 |
| Totals | 1,560,340 | 2,434,085 | 150,747 | 111,676 | 91,603 | 513,747 | 4,862,198 |
| Severity of procedure | Vic | NSW | SA | Tas | ACT | WA | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Observational studies involving minor interference | 332,951 | 1,697,255 | 63,216 | 52,200 | - | - | 2,145,622 |
| Animal unconscious without recovery | 161,712 | 64,204 | 28,742 | 25,634 | - | - | 280,292 |
| Minor conscious intervention | 676,449 | 471,436 | 19,982 | 24,568 | - | - | 1,192,435 |
| Minor operative procedures with recovery | 234,769 | 18,930 | 8,471 | 456 | - | - | 262,626 |
| Surgery with recovery | 32,014 | 12,126 | 3,794 | 185 | - | - | 48,119 |
| Minor physiological challenge | 35,932 | 109,044 | 17,271 | 1,504 | - | - | 163,751 |
| Major physiological challenge | 85,714 | 20,334 | 7,756 | 6,997 | - | - | 120,801 |
| Death as an end point | 799 | 35,684 | 1,515 | 132 | - | - | 38,130 |
| Production of genetically modified animals | - | 5,072 | - | - | - | - | 5,072 |
| Unspecified | - | - | - | - | 91,603 | 513,747 | 605,350 |
| Totals | 1,560,340 | 2,434,085 | 150,747 | 111,676 | 91,603 | 513,747 | 4,862,198 |
Vic.
Summary of Statistics of Animal Experimentation, Victoria. Report Number 23. 1 January, 2005 to 31 December, 2005.
NSW
Animal Research Review Panel NSW Annual Report 2005/06.
SA
Department for Environment & Heritage - South Australian Government.
Teaching and Research using animals in South Australia 2005.
Tas.
Animal Research statistics Tasmania Annual Report, Report Number 10: 1 April 2005 to 31 December 2005. Animal Health and Welfare Branch, Dept. of Primary Industries and Water. The report covers 9 months only due to the reporting period being changed to a calendar year in order to be in line with other states reporting.
ACT
Jon Stanhope MLA, Chief Minister ACT, Personal correspondence 26 April 2007
WA
Use/Supply of animals for scientific purposes (research and teaching). Annual statistical return for the calendar year 2005, Dept. of Local Government and Regional Development, WA.