New homes for seized illegal wildlife

Lim Yi Han Straits Times 25 Jun 13;

SOME may be repatriated, others will be released into the wild. And there are those which could get a new home in the zoo.

Careful consideration will be given to what happens to the more than 30 wild animals, which include three rare ball pythons, two Indian star tortoises and a slow loris, recently seized from a flat here.

Currently, the creatures are being kept in quarantine by Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS).

Dr Cheng Wen-Haur, WRS chief life sciences officer, said: "It is important to consider whether an animal is able to survive in the wild particularly if it has lived in captivity for many years.

"Animals should also never be set free in non-native habitats because they can become invasive species and cause serious disruption to local ecosystems."

Earlier this month, the WRS, which runs four attractions including the Singapore Zoo and River Safari, received the animals, which also included black-tailed prairie dogs and ornate horned frogs, after a raid by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA).

This was the biggest seizure of illegal wildlife from a home in 11 years, said AVA. Last year it seized about 70 wild animals being kept illegally, a spike from 10 in 2011. The number of animals was 60 in 2010.

These creatures tend to be injured and in distress due to human contact.

Dr Cheng added: "Wild animals have special dietary needs which require specialised training, and many kept illegally are unable to access the proper food and care they require."

The WRS said that since 2006, it has received an average of 300 to 400 animals yearly through animal rescues, confiscations by AVA and police, as well as public donations.

Meanwhile, the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) has rescued more than 100 animals from the illegal wildlife trade since September 2009.

The first animal it saved was a vervet monkey, a native of Africa, in 2004. It was illegally imported into Singapore and chained up in a factory. Acres later repatriated the animal to Zambia.

Acres executive director Louis Ng has called for stricter enforcement for those who import or keep wildlife illegally. He said: "What we are doing now is picking up the pieces. We need to take preventive measures and target these sellers and stop them from even bringing these animals in."

It is an offence to import or export any animal without a permit from AVA, and to possess, sell or advertise any illegal wildlife. The penalty for the offence is a jail term of up to two years, a fine of up to $50,000 per animal, or both.