Living with Wildlife - Codes of Practice

Red Kangaroo Photo: Scott Jennings

Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat

Sulphur-crested Cockatoos Photo: Fiona Fuhlbohm

Animal Welfare

The welfare of animals that are destroyed, trapped or released is of paramount importance to the Department for Environment and Heritage and the treatment of all animals must comply with the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1985 and any relevant code(s) of practice or animal welfare standards where they exist.

Animal welfare principles stipulate that killing an animal is acceptable under certain conditions, including when wildlife cause damage, but the animal must be destroyed humanely. Codes of Practice set an achievable standard of humane conduct and detail the minimum required of persons who need to destroy animals.

Codes of Practice

Codes of Practice apply best practice methods for the destruction of wildlife and provide a plain English version of how to meet animal welfare and legal obligations when destroying an animal. Compliance with a Code of Practice will ensure that the destruction of wildlife is undertaken in the most humane manner. Complying with a Code of Practice is also a legal requirement under a Permit to Destroy Wildlife. Persons undertaking the destruction of protected wildlife must hold a Permit to Destroy Wildlife.

See Permit information

Codes of Practice

Code of Practice for the Humane Destruction of Wombats by Shooting in South Australia (100Kb PDF),

Code of Practice for the Humane Destruction of Common Brushtail Possums by Shooting in South Australia (100Kb PDF),

Code of Practice for the Humane Destruction of Birds by Shooting in South Australia (updated) (100Kb PDF),

Code of Practice for the Humane Shooting of Kangaroos,

Code of Practice for the Humane Destruction of Flocking Birds by Trapping and Carbon Dioxide Narcosis in South Australia (100Kb PDF).

Common Brushtail Possum Photo: Peter Canty