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.
See also:
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