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| 37 illegal animals recovered in raids |
| Men who kept them as pets could face charges |
| IT SEEMS that the zoo is not the
only place that houses exotic wildlife in Singapore these days.
Acting on tip-offs from the public, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) officials and members from the local non-profit Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) conducted two separate raids on two HDB flats this week. A total of 37 animals were seized, many of them listed on Appendix II on the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites) that Singapore is a signatory of. Most of the animals were also not native to Singapore. The first raid, on Dec 20, was at a flat in Serangoon, owned by a 30-year-old fruit stall assistant. Officials found that he was keeping 11 exotic animals as pets. The wildlife included a rainbow boa, a green tree python and a tarantula. A day later, officials found 26 animals in an Ang Mo Kio flat the largest such seizure from a home. A 29-year-old chef is being investigated for allegedly keeping and trading the animals, including a slow loris, two green iguanas and six star tortoises. The animals are currently at the Singapore Zoo and investigations are being conducted before any charges are filed against the two men. In its press release, the AVA cautioned that wildlife "require professional handling and special housing" and are not suitable for Singapore's urban environment. The director of Acres, Mr Louis Ng, 26, who went on the first raid, said of the experience: "It was quite a shock for some of us. The room (housing the illegal wildlife) was quite small and practically surrounded by reptiles." Mr Ng believes that those who keep such exotic pets do so to "show-off" to their friends, a practice that could lead to them getting caught. He said: "Most of the tip-offs we receive are from friends of the owners (of such animals). That is why we are going on this angle, that if you are going to show off (your illegal pets), we are going to (find you)." For its part, Acres gives undisclosed cash rewards to anyone with information about illegal pet owners |
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