Singapore’s Campaign Against Exotic Pet Trade

December 2004

"Wild But Not Free" is the name of a month-long campaign aimed at raising the public’s awareness of illegal exotic pets in the city-state of Singapore. Launched on 3 November 2004 by Singapore’s Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES), this campaign will feature an informational road show with stops at various shopping centers in Singapore’s central business district. A number of Singaporean celebrities are actively supporting this campaign and have agreed to speak out and help distribute literature. A 24-hour Wildlife Crime Hotline has also been established to encourage Singaporeans to come forward with information about prohibited exotic pets. These include primates, amphibians, and many species of birds.

Singapore is situated in the center of diverse trade routes and among nations with a wealth of biodiversity. As a result, some fear that the country has also become a center for illegal wildlife trafficking. ACRES plans to continue to assist Singapore’s Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority in their ongoing efforts to effect seizures of protected species from smugglers. According to ACRES President Louis Ng, more than 2,000 protected animals were confiscated in Singapore in 2002, while eight people have been put behind bars in the past four years for importing or exporting without a permit animals that fall under the Endangered Species Act.

This illegal trade in exotic pets can be damaging to humans, the animals, and the environment. According to a statement by ACRES,

Globally, only the trafficking in drugs and weapons now surpasses the illegal trading in wildlife, timber, and other natural resources. The ongoing illegal pet trade has severe consequences for the survival of every species involved. More than half of the smuggled animals die, and the surviving animals mostly end up living in bad conditions or are mistreated. These animals rarely survive for long in captivity, and removing them from their natural habitat damages the fragile ecosystem in which they live as well as threatens the species’ existence. Some of the animals, especially primates, can also spread diseases to humans.