About the proposal
The Minister for the Environment and Water is considering granting a permit to Adelaide Zoo, South Australia, to export a single live mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx) to Johannesburg Zoo, South Africa under the exceptional circumstances provision (section 303GB) of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).
The specimen is the only mandrill left in Australia, housed at Adelaide Zoo. The only other mandrill has recently died and consequently the specimen is alone. As mandrills are highly social animals that need to live in groups, this could result in serious welfare concerns.
If the specimen remains in Australia, he will face long-term isolation and poor welfare outcomes. Transfer to Johannesburg Zoo, which has an established mandrill group and the necessary expertise, would allow him to join other mandrills and live in a more natural and socially appropriate environment.
Mandrills are listed on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which imposes strict conditions on international trade. This application does not meet the requirements of s303CG of the EPBC Act, because it does not meet any of the eligible non-commercial purposes.
A permit can only be issued if exceptional circumstances exist, the export is consistent with the objectives of Part 13A of the EPBC Act, the export will not be detrimental to biodiversity, and granting the permit would not be contrary to CITES.
The applicant has requested consideration of their application under exceptional circumstances, in that:
With the absence of any other mandrills within Australia, and no active pathway for recruitment of the species back into Australian zoos, the specimen is the last remaining mandrill in the country.
Mandrills are a highly social primate species, requiring complex social structures to maintain psychological and behavioural wellbeing.
Johannesburg Zoo has presented a suitable and established mandrill breeding group. The proposed placement would provide immediate access to conspecific socialisation, integration into a managed breeding group, and housing and husbandry conditions aligned with international best practice. This represents a clear and measurable improvement in welfare for the animal.
How can I get involved?
You are invited to comment on the proposal to issue the export permit.
Comments received will form part of the documentation provided to the Australian Government Minister for the Environment and Water or the Minister’s delegate for decision.
Send your comments
The call for public comments is open from 22 June 2026 until 29 June 2026, 11:59pm.
The public are invited to provide written comments on this proposal. Please include your full name and address in your submission. Any written comments will be considered in making a decision on the export permit.
Comments can be sent by email or writing to:
Email:
Mail:
The Director
Wildlife Trade Assessments Section
Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
GPO Box 3090
Canberra ACT 2601
Personal information collection
Privacy and Confidentiality
Copies of comments may be made available to other persons with a particular interest in the application. If you wish your comments to remain confidential, please clearly mark the relevant part(s) of your comments as ‘confidential’.
