Graphic design by Amanda
It is without a doubt that pets at home brings life and joy to many owners. Pets can be categorised into two kinds – domesticated and exotic. Domesticated pets refer to the conventional kinds of animals like dogs and cats while exotic pets refer to the rarer, more unique lifeforms like reptiles and slow lorises.
In Singapore, pet owners typically own dogs, cats, hamsters, birds or turtles. However, have you heard of cases of Singaporeans owning hedgehogs, reptiles and monkeys? Although these cases are not often seen in the news, there has been reported cases of exotic pet owners in Singapore. The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) stated that it has handled more than 100 cases of illegal wildlife trade, sale and possession from 2013 to 2017.
Graphic design by Amanda
Southeast Asia is a wildlife trade hotspot and acts as a general import and export emporium. Among the trades include large volumes of international wildlife, both legal and illegal, within the region, between Southeast Asia countries and external trading partners.
Photos taken by Amanda from a mall in Batam
Singapore is a major importer and consumer of wildlife where endangered species are sought after for pet trade.
In this blog, we will be focusing on exotic pets in Singapore. The aims of this blog is to
(1) Firstly, lay out the foundations of the pet-human relationship, the psychological and physiological effects of having pets, and the relation between pets and conservation.
(2) Secondly, dive into the issue of exotic pet keeping in Singapore by looking at the exotic pet trade, the reasons for keeping them and what are the human-pet advantages and disadvantages of keeping them.
(3) Lastly, what are the current interventions and suggested interventions for this issue.