illegal animals seized in Singapore

Chlidonias

Chlidonias

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15+ year member
these may end up on display at the WRS' facilities.

Illegal Zoo Seized From Singapore Apartment Containing 32 Exotic Animals
More than 30 wild animals, including pythons, tortoises, a slow loris and a marmoset have been seized from a flat in Singapore in the city's largest such haul of banned wildlife in more than a decade, a government agency said Tuesday.

The owner, who kept the animals in a public housing apartment, could be jailed for two years and fined up to Sg$500,000 ($297,000), the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) said in a statement.

The 32 animals included a Sunda slow loris, a nocturnal tree-dwelling primate; a common marmoset, a small monkey with a long tail; and three ball pythons, which are popular in the pet trade because of their docile nature.

There were also three black-tailed prairie dogs, several types of tortoise, five ornate horned frogs, an iguana, a gecko and a degu, a small rodent endemic to central Chile.

"The seizure, which includes highly endangered and threatened species like the slow loris, marmoset, Indian star tortoise and ball python, is AVA's largest inland seizure of wildlife since 2002," the agency said in a statement.

"A man is currently assisting AVA in the investigations."

Residents in public housing, where most Singaporeans live, are only allowed to keep approved pets such as non-endangered birds, aquarium fish and one small dog per household.

The animals, which were rescued earlier this month, are now in the care of a company running the Singapore Zoo, said the AVA, which raided the flat after a tipoff.

It warned the public that keeping illegal wildlife could pose health hazards and threaten the densely populated tropical island's biodiversity if the animals enter the local environment.
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Exept for the slow lori and the marmoset this is a collection which can be found in a lot of European countries ! I don't understand why they make such a item of it, I mean: come on a degu, a gecko, 5 (!) ornate horned frogs, ball python and so on, all species bred in large quantities in the western world !
 
vogelcommando said:
Exept for the slow lori and the marmoset this is a collection which can be found in a lot of European countries ! I don't understand why they make such a item of it, I mean: come on a degu, a gecko, 5 (!) ornate horned frogs, ball python and so on, all species bred in large quantities in the western world !
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but it isn't a European country, it is Singapore and it is illegal to keep these animals privately in Singapore. What is kept and bred in Europe is irrelevant. Quite apart from anything else, all the animals (except the degu) are species which conceivably could establish wild populations if released.
 
I can see WRS putting some of these animals on display, I think the prairie dogs would likely end up in the Critters Longhouse, although they would be better in a decent-sized and diggable outdoor (but covered) enclosure.
 
vogelcommando said:
OK Chlidonias, the danger of establishing wild populations makes sence.
By the way, here another article with the complete list of animals :
Wildlife Extra News - Large seizure of wildlife made from Singapore flat
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the other obvious and much more important reason than the risk of foreign species establishing wild populations, is that Singapore has always been a hub for animal smuggling due to its location. If only a select number of species are allowed to be kept privately, that makes the job of enforcing the animal laws and prosecuting smugglers much easier.

For the Australians who may not be able to open the Wildlife Extra link, this is the list:

1 Sunda slow loris
1 Common marmoset
2 Indian star tortoise
3 Leopard tortoise
2 Red-footed tortoise
2 Yellow-footed tortoise
2 Alligator snapping turtle
3 Ball python
5 Ornate horned frog
2 Green iguana
1 Inland bearded dragon
2 Sailfin dragon
1 Lined flat-tail gecko
3 Black-tailed prairie dog
2 Degu

I would imagine all or most of these were simply bought in Malaysia and carried back to Singapore in luggage.
 
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