Article about Exotic Pets in S'pore

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Posted by DKK on September 23, 2001 at 22:03:19:

The following is an article I posted to my local newspaper after an article about exotic pets was reported:

Dear STLOCAL,
I was very furious and mad after reading the article on Sunday Times 23 Sept 2001. I know that it is just your job as a reporter and also a newspaper to report on certain issues but I'm sure that you'll always want to report on both sides of a certain issue, right!? The following is what I've to comment:

I totally agree that the owner who kept the gibbon abused and ill treated the poor primate! And I'm also a human being with feelings and emotion(someone who shed tears after hearing news on USA WTC) I totally agree that owners like the one who kept the gibbon and the one who kept the slow loris be punished severly like those owners who abused their cats and dogs!

The Zoo said that there are more and more people who are keeping "wild animals" and not knowing how to care for them and the animals end up in the Zoo! But in the first place these "wild animals" they're speaking of are snakes and lizards like Iguana and other reptiles and they even mention Treefrogs! I'm sure and hope they do know that these "wild animals" have been domesticated and kept as pets or exotics pets in the comfort of individual's home for decades, examples are Ferrets, turtles, treefrogs and snakes and other lizards...

There have been so much research done into breeding and keeping these so called "wild animals" that they are no longer deem wild anymore. We've always been telling people that this certain animal are on the brink of extinction or this certain plant is already extinct but then I see that the S'pore authorities (PPD/AVA) are not doing much on educating the public on this "wild animals" except to advertise on TV about them, I mean come on what good would it do to the animals and the public if you do not teach them about these animals. Let them know that these animals are of no harm to human if u handle them in certain ways or if you give them a proper environment they can actually make very good pets!

Some of these animals are on the brink of extinction in the wild, true I agree, but there've been so many programms to actually breed them in captive and releasing them in the wild so as to increase their numbers in the wild, and in captivity they actually might have a higher chance of survival compared to the wild WHY? Because we humans are destroying their natural environment!

Mr. Lye from AVA said that there's a rage for these
"wild animals" is because of novelty value! Oh come on, what about dogs and cats and chinchilla? Aren't they all of novelty value?? I'm sorry to say this but I'm also a true blue 100% singaporean but sometimes Singaporeans just like to shun issues that they don't know, they just refuse to approach them and learn from them! DR Cheng from the Zoo mention that they have a overwhelming numbers of abandon "wild animals" in the Zoo and do not have the resources to maintain them, but if the public are educated about them there wouldn't be so many "wild animals" abandon would there... and even for " normal" pets like dogs and cats there are also many cases of them being abuse and abandon.

What I think the authorities can do is to legalize the trade of exotic pets (PLEASE not wild animals!), but at the same time they can control what can be imported/exported like what many countries are doing. Animals which are on the highly endangered list can be exported/imported with limit and also only captive bred animals can be imported so as to curb illegal poaching of wild animals!

Dierdre Moss of Society for prevention of cruelty to Animals also mention that "we're lucky the authorities forbid the trade of such animals. They're not pets, they're wild animals. There are enough animals in need of a home here if people want them." >>> Another case of ignorant and uneducated individual! They're not wild animals once they've been domesticated and make great pets for science projects and even for observations!

Ironically on the same section of the Sunday times was an article on "From Singaporeans to Americans" in regards to the Attack on the USA WTC, if we can feel how they feel and we've been trying to learn from the World superpower why not try learning from them on this exotic pets issue? They've been in this business for decades and have actually help many animals from the edge of being extinct forever! Come on fellow Exotic Pets Enthusiast/Owner Stand up for your own rights!

I need all the support I need and suggestions please!

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: The following is an article I posted to my local newspaper after an article about exotic pets was reported: : Dear STLOCAL, : I was very furious and mad after reading the article on Sunday Times 23 Sept 2001. I know that it is just your job as a reporter and also a newspaper to report on certain issues but I'm sure that you'll always want to report on both sides of a certain issue, right!? The following is what I've to comment: : I totally agree that the owner who kept the gibbon abused and ill treated the poor primate! And I'm also a human being with feelings and emotion(someone who shed tears after hearing news on USA WTC) I totally agree that owners like the one who kept the gibbon and the one who kept the slow loris be punished severly like those owners who abused their cats and dogs! : : The Zoo said that there are more and more people who are keeping "wild animals" and not knowing how to care for them and the animals end up in the Zoo! But in the first place these "wild animals" they're speaking of are snakes and lizards like Iguana and other reptiles and they even mention Treefrogs! I'm sure and hope they do know that these "wild animals" have been domesticated and kept as pets or exotics pets in the comfort of individual's home for decades, examples are Ferrets, turtles, treefrogs and snakes and other lizards... : There have been so much research done into breeding and keeping these so called "wild animals" that they are no longer deem wild anymore. We've always been telling people that this certain animal are on the brink of extinction or this certain plant is already extinct but then I see that the S'pore authorities (PPD/AVA) are not doing much on educating the public on this "wild animals" except to advertise on TV about them, I mean come on what good would it do to the animals and the public if you do not teach them about these animals. Let them know that these animals are of no harm to human if u handle them in certain ways or if you give them a proper environment they can actually make very good pets! : Some of these animals are on the brink of extinction in the wild, true I agree, but there've been so many programms to actually breed them in captive and releasing them in the wild so as to increase their numbers in the wild, and in captivity they actually might have a higher chance of survival compared to the wild WHY? Because we humans are destroying their natural environment! : Mr. Lye from AVA said that there's a rage for these : "wild animals" is because of novelty value! Oh come on, what about dogs and cats and chinchilla? Aren't they all of novelty value?? I'm sorry to say this but I'm also a true blue 100% singaporean but sometimes Singaporeans just like to shun issues that they don't know, they just refuse to approach them and learn from them! DR Cheng from the Zoo mention that they have a overwhelming numbers of abandon "wild animals" in the Zoo and do not have the resources to maintain them, but if the public are educated about them there wouldn't be so many "wild animals" abandon would there... and even for " normal" pets like dogs and cats there are also many cases of them being abuse and abandon. : What I think the authorities can do is to legalize the trade of exotic pets (PLEASE not wild animals!), but at the same time they can control what can be imported/exported like what many countries are doing. Animals which are on the highly endangered list can be exported/imported with limit and also only captive bred animals can be imported so as to curb illegal poaching of wild animals! : Dierdre Moss of Society for prevention of cruelty to Animals also mention that "we're lucky the authorities forbid the trade of such animals. They're not pets, they're wild animals. There are enough animals in need of a home here if people want them." >>> Another case of ignorant and uneducated individual! They're not wild animals once they've been domesticated and make great pets for science projects and even for observations! : Ironically on the same section of the Sunday times was an article on "From Singaporeans to Americans" in regards to the Attack on the USA WTC, if we can feel how they feel and we've been trying to learn from the World superpower why not try learning from them on this exotic pets issue? They've been in this business for decades and have actually help many animals from the edge of being extinct forever! Come on fellow Exotic Pets Enthusiast/Owner Stand up for your own rights! : I need all the support I need and suggestions please!

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