They carry disease, hunt native animals and keeping one in Queensland could cost you $80,000

They carry disease, hunt native animals and keeping one in Queensland could cost you $80,000 - ferrets are anything but cute and cuddly.

This reminder comes after Biosecurity Queensland officers seized two ferrets from a home in western Queensland recently under the Land Protection (Pest and Stock Route Management) Act 2002.

Senior Biosecurity officer Garry Pidgeon said ferrets were a Class 1 declared pest animal and ignoring this fact could be financially and environmentally disastrous for the state.

"Ferrets can spread livestock and human diseases and are bad news for our poultry and native animals," Mr Pidgeon said.

"They are carnivorous mammals native to Europe and we need only look to New Zealand for an example of what can go wrong when ferrets travel far from home.

"In an attempt to control rabbits, ferrets were released in New Zealand in the 1880s and they went on to form the largest population of wild ferrets in the world.

"There is now a major concern about the transmission of bovine tuberculosis by ferrets to cattle, and about the damage ferrets are having on New Zealand´s native animal populations.

"Many ground-dwelling birds in New Zealand have also been adversely impacted on by ferrets."

Ferrets are also potential vectors of human diseases such as leptospirosis and campylobacteriosis and are know to have a tendency to bite infants and young children.

Under the Land Protection (Pest and Stock Route Management) Act 2002 it is a serious offence to introduce, keep or supply ferrets in Queensland and penalties of up to $80,000 apply.

Ferrets are also illegal in the Northern Territory where they are listed as ´Prohibited Entrants´ under the Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 2007. There are a range of different regulations in other states and territories relating to ferrets.