A 21-year-old Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) regular was sentenced to probation for picking up a pregnant pangolin at a park connector and selling it for S$1,400.
According to CNA, Damien Tan Guan Rong admitted in court on Jan. 10 and pleaded guilty to one charge of selling a protected wildlife species under the Wildlife Act.
Other charges, including taking a protected animal from a park connector and failing to provide it with adequate water and suitable food, were taken into consideration.
On Feb. 29, Tan was sentenced to one year's supervised probation and 80 hours of community service.
Posted videos on Telegram to advertise it
Tan found the pangolin at a park connector along Yio Chu Kang Road on Jul. 2, 2023.
He then kept the pangolin in his home in Punggol and posted videos of it in a Telegram chat group about exotic pets in Singapore, advertising it for sale.
The prosecutor said on Jan. 10 that Tan knew Sunda pangolins are insectivores and primarily eat ants.
However, Tan was reluctant to look for ants and tried to feed the pangolin fruits and vegetables instead, CNA reported.
He received offers for the pangolin and negotiated with some Telegram users on the price. He eventually found a buyer, co-accused Lee Kian Han, and agreed to sell the animal for S$1,400.
The two met on Jul. 4, 2023, at 2am at a Housing Development Board (HDB) block in Jurong West.
Lee paid Tan for the animal via PayNow.
NParks detected the advertisement on Telegram
On Jul. 4, the National Parks Board (NParks) detected the advertisement on Telegram.
An NParks officer arranged to meet with Lee in a covert operation after offering to buy the pangolin for S$1,600.
Tan was subsequently arrested at his home, and the pangolin was taken to a centre for wildlife rehabilitation and examination, said CNA.
An NParks vet identified the pangolin as a Sunda pangolin, a protected species, and an assessment report found that it was pregnant and "very hungry" upon admission.
Donated money to Wildlife Conservation Society
CNA wrote that in the previous hearing, NParks had been unable to recover the S$1,400 from Tan and the prosecution sought a fine of S$8,000 to S$10,000.
Tan's defence lawyers also added that their client had donated monthly to the Wildlife Conservation Society.
During that hearing, the judge asked Tan why he had not donated S$1,400 to cover the sum.
On Feb. 29, the defence said Tan has since made donations of more than S$2,000 to the organisation.
CNA added that the defence lawyer said Tan donated the money because "he doesn't want to retain ill-gotten gains".
What do you do if you come across a pangolin?
While pangolins are shy and will not attack humans, people are advised to leave pangolins alone.
People should not attempt to touch, chase or corner them as it can frighten them.
If you witness any illegal trading or poaching, you should take photo or video evidence of the traps, snares, nets, trapped animals, poachers, and/or the vehicle license plate number.
You can also call NPark's hotline at 1800-471-7300 or contact the police.
You can also contact the 24-hour ACRES Wildlife Rescue and Crime hotline at 97837782.
If you come across a pangolin that appears to be in any danger, like if they are found in the middle of a busy road, you can also contact NParks or ACRES.
For more information on what to do if you encounter any poaching activities, click here.
Top photo via Mandai Wildlife Group