Leva's Story and the Consequences of Owning Exotic Animals in Singapore

A Story of Illegal Wildlife Trade and the Consequences

In Chinese culture, the snake is a symbol of prosperity and good luck. However, in Singapore, owning a snake as a pet is illegal. Despite this, some people still aspire to acquire one, leading to a rise in the illegal wildlife trade.

In 2013, the last Year of the Snake on the Chinese zodiac, ACRES, an animal protection charity, saw a surge in cases of people abandoning or surrendering exotic snakes. One such reptile is Leva, a female ball python found in the lost-and-found section of a taxi company that year.

Leva has been under ACRES' care for 12 years. Ball pythons, native to West and Central Africa, can live up to 30 years. ACRES' facility is nearing maximum capacity and only takes in exotic animals on a case-by-case basis. They currently house over 120 animals in quarantine and hope to repatriate them where possible.

Wildlife experts warn that purchasing and owning illegal wildlife not only breaks the law but also inflicts abuse on the animals. "When wild animals are smuggled, they go through a lot of pain and suffering," says Kalaivanan Balakrishnan, CEO of ACRES. "The entire smuggling process is unethical and often linked to other illegal activities."

The Herpetological Society of Singapore (HSS) adds that many reptiles and amphibians suffer from heat stress or even perish during smuggling due to their inability to regulate their body temperature. Additionally, Singapore lacks the necessary veterinary infrastructure to care for these animals.

Those that escape or are abandoned in the wild rarely survive. HSS, which advocates for the conservation of reptiles and amphibians, has documented numerous cases of these animals being found as roadkill. "A lot of these animals do not die a painless death," says Law Ing Sind, co-founder of HSS. "The worst-case scenario is that they establish a breeding population and start impacting our local wildlife."

The story of Leva and the illegal wildlife trade highlights the suffering inflicted on animals and the potential harm to the environment. It serves as a reminder that owning exotic animals is not only illegal but also unethical and harmful.