What is it about?
This article explores the keeping of native animals as pets in colonial Australia. Drawing upon contemporary evidence, much of it from newspapers, it shows that a wide range of native species were successfully kept as pets, from kangaroos through snakes to a variety of birds. This were not just accidental pets but were deliberately acquired and rewards posted for their return if they strayed.
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Why is it important?
Knowing more about nineteenth century pet keeping practices can help to inform current debates about the protection of native species in Australia and elsewhere. While some argue that keeping native animals as pets can increased empathy and support for protective measures, we found that pet keepers had an affective bond with their companion animals that did not necessarily extend any further.
Perspectives
I have been very interested in how settler colonist Australians related with native animal species. While much of the rhetoric was that these animals were peculiar and inferior to those of other continents, many people clearly did develop lasting caring relationships with individual animals. While this article offers an overview, I would love to see (and to do) more fine grained work on this topic.
Nancy Cushing
University of Newcastle
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: “The Bird was a Valuable One”, Society and Animals, October 2017, Brill,
DOI: 10.1163/15685306-12341474.
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