Rare animals become more valuable as their population decline in numbers. There are many types of illegal pet trade in Southeast Asia and they include trade of:

Primates

The babies of primates like orangutans and chimpanzees are often traded and sold as they are known to be cute and docile. However, it is often the case that many family members are killed for just one baby, especially the mother who is usually very protective of the baby. They are usually bought as a status of wealth by local officials or just because they appear to be adorable exotic pets to have, especially when they are highly related to us humans (anthropomorphism). 

However, these primates are highly unsuitable to be kept as pets. In the case of orangutans, when they grow up to be adults, they can get very aggressive and strong. Being able to easily overpower a few men, they often get locked up in cages and placed in the backyards before they are rescued. 

Interested? Learn more about the blue room and baby chimps here.

Other than large primates, small primates like the slow loris, are also captured and traded for being adorable. Read more here.

 

Fuelling the illegal pet trade, collectors are one group of people who are willing to go out of their way to purchase these uncommon wildlife as pets. They usually specialize in certain groups of birds and reptiles.

Reptiles

Reptiles like tortoises, snakes (e.g. pythons, boa constrictors, anacondas), lizards and newts form one of the most common type of illegal pet trade as they are usually much easier to transport. However, certain types of snakes can be very dangerous and can cause harm when escaped. Many of them also die due to poor care and neglect.

In many parts of Southeast Asia, there are also collectors that specialize in collecting star tortoises, such as the Burmese and Indian Star Tortoise (see below).

In the News: In 2016, a man was caught with 22 live star tortoises found in the boot of his car at the Woodlands Checkpoint in Singapore without a CITES permit.

 

Birds

Many collectors also specialise in collecting songbirds such as the Straw-headed Bulbul which is listed as endangered in the ICUN Red List that can also be found in Singapore. Additionally, birds like the African Grey Parrot, which is also listed as endangered in the ICUN Red List are also popular as pets as they are able to mimic voices.

The “cagebird trade” often has a high mortality rate as many birds usually die during transport due to stress and suffocation. This is because they are either stuffed in plastic bottles or taped to PVC tubes during transport to restrict movement. Their beaks are also usually tape to eliminate noise and avoid detection in the customs.