Interest in pet chinchillas has prompted Environment Southland to remind residents permits are required to own one of the cuddly rodents.
Chinchillas are considered an unwelcome pest in Southland and cannot be kept as pets or for breeding in the region without a permit.
The fluffy rodent is native to the Andes mountains in South America.
Environment Southland biosecurity manager Richard Bowman said the council had recently heard that a small number of people might be keeping or breeding chinchillas, and wanted to remind people that the animal was not welcome.
''We don't want to take people's pets away, but we have to make sure that chinchillas don't pose a threat to our farming economy and native biodiversity. That's why it's currently illegal to buy, sell, transport or breed them, under the terms of the regional pest management strategy.''
Chinchillas may only be kept under a permit issued by ES. The conditions of the permit are that any chinchillas held are not able to breed and are kept in secure facilities to prevent their escape.
Environment Southland said it restricted the keeping of chinchillas as there was a concern that escaped or unwanted chinchillas might start reproducing in the wild, and spread uncontrollably in the same way as rabbits, ferrets, stoats and other introduced species had done in the past.
