Pest (animal)

A pest is an animal which has characteristics which people regard as injurious or unwanted. It is possible for an animal to be a pest in one setting but beneficial or domesticated in another (for example, European rabbits introduced to Australia caused ecological damage beyond the scale they inflicted in their natural habitat). It is most commonly used in connection with those organisms which pose health risks or which cause agricultural damage. See also the entries for biological pest control and pesticide.