SINGAPORE: A 22-year-old woman has been fined S$3,600 for illegally keeping a civet cat and a red-footed tortoise which are protected wildlife species, said the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) on Wednesday (Jun 13).
Desiree Lim was caught after the Animals Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) reported an alleged sale of illegal wildlife on online platform Carousell.
AdvertisementAVA said it then carried out a sting operation with the help of ACRES, and seized a civet cat and a red-footed tortoise.
“Further investigations at Lim’s home revealed that she was also keeping a hedgehog and a snapping turtle. This was taken into consideration during sentencing,” said AVA, adding that all the animals seized were placed under the care of Wildlife Reserves Singapore.
It is an offence in Singapore to keep or sell wildlife species protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), such as the civet cat and red-footed tortoise.
Those convicted can be jailed for up to two years or fined a maximum of S$500,000.
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