Slow loris quick bust (TNP, 20041107)
Toothless enforcement affects not only pets and cruelty victims, wildlife suffer tremendously too.
For these victims of human greed, the strengthening of the law came far too late (Going straight for the jugular, TODAY 20060118) Check out the Wildlife Trade Initiative (ASEAN) - Go to Go to: Casefile: Cruel Singapore. Hack-care Singapore."For less than $500, you can buy one - without even stepping out of your home.
"'It's like the one you see on Discovery (channel)... no need to prepare environment, cage can... cause mine captive-bred, not wild caught,' he told our reader.
"Ms Lye said five cases of Internet trade in exotic pets have been detected by AVA in recent years.
A new breed of exotic animal sellers seem to be operating undercover online.
"Last year, 663 animals were confiscated by AVA in 33 cases.
In 2002, there were 31 cases involving almost 3,000 animals, including 2,193 star tortoises smuggled by two Indian nationals.
"TOUGH laws should be put in place to curb the illegal wildlife trade. A fine of a few thousand dollars is but a mere slap on the wrist when millions can be made from each shipment.
Interpol estimates the worldwide illegal trade in wildlife products is worth US$6 to 10 billion dollars ($16.5 billion) annually. It is second only to the illicit drug trade.
A major loophole in the Endangered Species Act is how offenders are charged by species instead of per animal or specimen, said Mr Louis Ng, president of the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres).
"When wildlife laws have no teeth, it's the animals that suffer.
"So just because people wanted to have a taste of wildmeat, all 34 pangolins starved to death.
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