HP slips up with Ralph the iguana ad showing the illegal pet on the loose in Australia

Australia has a strict embargo on certain species that could potentially dominate the country's isolated ecosystem, killing native species - as rabbits did before.

Most importantly, the ad shows the mischievous Ralph the Iguana on the loose despite him almost certainly being unwelcome as a ‘high-risk species’ Andrew Cox, chief executive of the Invasive Species Council, told Guardian Australia.

He said: “We don’t want to create a new demand for this species and for people to buy them on the black market. These things can grow up to two metres long and then people will dump them, which causes a major threat to northern Australia.

“Hewlett-Packard should have known better. They should have done their homework. They now need to make people aware that it’s illegal to have iguanas in Australia and that they are a threat to the environment here.”

Despite the plea from the watchdog, HP stated that it will continue running ads showing the invasive Ralph next to Australian landmarks.

Last month Hewlett-Packard announced that it will hive off its struggling corporate hardware and services divisions from its more profitable computer and printer business in a bid to address its financial misfortunes.