Stolen tortoises just the latest case of animal theft in Singapore

Estelle Low, Straits Times 8 Feb 09;

Someone, somewhere, may still be keeping the three tarantulas.

The eight-legged creatures, worth up to $200 each, were stolen from the Insect Kingdom Museum in Sentosa three years ago.

It was not an isolated case of animal theft in Singapore.

On Jan 31, 10 exotic tortoises, valued at $74,400, were taken from the Live Turtle and Tortoise Museum at the Chinese Garden in Jurong. Three men were charged in connection with the theft last Wednesday.

This was the third burglary in two years at the museum, which has at least 1,600 turtles and tortoises from North and South America, Africa and Asia.

The most recent theft was in November 2006, when 18 tortoises worth more than $80,000 were stolen. Fourteen of them were recovered, thanks to the efforts of the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority.

The culprit, who was jailed for six months, was also one of the three men charged on Wednesday.

In the tarantula incident, the culprits were never nabbed. A staff member did recall seeing a man with three children crowding around a tank of tarantulas. By the time he discovered that the 12cm-sized tarantulas were missing, the people had left.

'They were definitely not first-time visitors. They seemed to know how to steal the tarantulas and what equipment to bring in,' Mr S.J.Chiang, chief executive officer of Butterfly Park and Insect Kingdom Museum, told The Sunday Times.

Small animals are easy targets for theft, said Mr Biswajit Guha, assistant director of the Singapore Zoo. Tortoises, for example, are quiet and non-aggressive.

'Because of their rarity, they become aspirational possessions for hobbyists,' he said of some species.

Butterflies, many of which sport lovely patterns on their bodies, are also irresistible. Every month, about 10 are stolen from the Butterfly Park by tourists and local visitors.

'The tourists tend to be adults, but what can we do? Even if we give them a warning, they will make all sorts of excuses to take the butterflies away,' Mr Chiang said.

The most common excuse is that the butterflies were given to them by the park attendants.

He does not impose any fines or penalties, for fear of driving away business.

Currently, there are about 1,000 butterflies from 60 species. Their cost ranges from $2 to more than $10,000, such as those from Papua New Guinea.

But it is not just the docile creatures that are taken. Coveted too are snakes, chameleons and parrots, said Mr Guha, adding that they are cute and perceived as low-maintenance.

At Jurong BirdPark, someone tried to steal a hornbill two years ago but was caught and turned over to the police.

Mr Chiang is making it harder for animal snatchers. He plans to install six more security cameras next month, adding to the current 12.

Come November, the attraction he runs will be renamed Jungle Sentosa. 'My staff are going for training to provide guided tours to visitors so it's easier to monitor their behaviour,' he said.