NEWS
ACRES IN THE NEWS
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TODAY
6 October 07
Wild boar trapped by poachers on SAF land dies
EVEN as the authorities have started getting tough on poachers, there's still much to be done in the quest to conserve wildlife.
A wild boar snared in a trap set in the forested area opposite the Police K-9 Dog Unit base in Mowbray Road, off Choa Chu Kang Way, died, according to Mr Louis Ng, executive director of animals welfare group The Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres). The area also is one of the training grounds used by the Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF).
"By the time I reached there at 9am, the snare hooked onto the leg and the more the wild boar struggled, the grip was tightened and ate into its flesh," Mr Ng said on Friday.
It is not known who set the trap.
Mr Ng said: "It is quite shocking to know that people are setting up traps in restricted areas. We usually hear of wild boar traps in places like Pulau Ubin."
Since 2000, the National Park Board (NParks) have issued compound fines — meted on the spot like parking fines — to more than 300 people for catching fishes and animals in parks and nature reserves.
On Monday, Today first reported the case of Masod Mohamed who became the first person here charged and convicted of poaching.
He was caught by an NParks ranger for trying to lure songbirds. On Sept 11 he became the first person slapped with a maximum penalty of $2,000.
Under the Wild Animals and Birds Act, anyone who kills, takes or keeps any wild animal or bird, other than those specified in the Schedule, without a licence from the Agri-food and Veterinary Authority (AVA), is liable, on conviction, to a fine not exceeding $1,000 and to forfeiture of the animal or bird.
But as the Mowbray Road incident was on SAF grounds, the matter comes under the Protected Areas and Protected Places Act.
Offenders are liable to be fined $1,000 or to imprisonment for a term of two years or to both. Mindef did not respond to Today's queries by press time.
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