AVA seizes caged monkey from home following tip-off

Audrey Tan The Straits Times AsiaOne 16 Feb 14;

A CAGED monkey being kept as an illegal house pet was seized by Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) officers yesterday, following a tip-off from a local wildlife rescue group.

The male long-tailed macaque, estimated to be less than two years old, was being kept in the corner of the front yard of a bungalow on Pasir Panjang Road, along with a number of other caged animals, including a squirrel and rabbits.

When The Straits Times visited at about 4pm, a number of cats were also seen around the house.

Two members of the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres), the group which alerted the authorities to the case, helped two AVA officers to retrieve the monkey from its cage.

It was transported to the Centre for Animal Welfare and Control in equipment provided by Acres. It is believed that monkeys rescued from such operations are typically euthanised.

A bid to seize the squirrel, however, ended up with it escaping to freedom by darting up a tree.

Acres chief executive Louis Ng, who assisted in seizing the monkey, said the group was alerted to the case by a member of the public the night before.

It informed the AVA at about 3.30pm yesterday, and although AVA officers reached the scene within an hour, they had to wait until around 5pm for the house's occupants to return.

Singapore law forbids wild animals from being kept as pets. Those found guilty under the Wild Animals and Birds Act face a maximum fine of $1,000. The long-tailed macaque is listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Those found in possession of such species can be charged under the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act, which carries a maximum penalty of $500,000 fine and a two-year jail term.

No arrests were made yesterday.

The bungalow's occupants declined to speak to the media. However, a neighbour, a 75-year-old retiree who also declined to be named, described them as "animal lovers" who rescued the monkey after its mother abandoned it a year ago.

Mr Ng said this theory was unlikely as monkeys have strong maternal instincts and would not abandon their babies, citing how monkeys rally around their young caught in traps.

He said: "In such cases where the monkey is kept in an open area, the blatant and open violation of the law shows a lack of enforcement."