PETALING JAYA, Aug 1 — Exotic pet lovers have lashed out at illegal wildlife traders and buyers for giving them a bad name.
Malaysian Association of Reptile and Exotic Animal Keepers spokesman, Mohammad Nazri Hassan said the public’s perception tended to be one of “collective punishment”.
“If one snake bites one person, all snakes will get the blame even though only a third are venomous,” he said.
Nazri said the association and its members always stressed the need to have proper paperwork and comply with procedures before acquiring an exotic pet.
“It is a matter of responsibility. Owning and caring for exotic animals would raise awareness ... people will be more knowledgeable of animals.” he said.
“However, owning exotic pets illegally defeats the purpose and causes more harm than good. That is what we are trying to avoid.”
He said the Wildlife and National Parks Department needed to review its terms and conditions in issuing licences to own exotic animals under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010.
“The department does not issue licences to own Schedule II animals but this does not stop people from doing so,” he said.
“Issuing licences will allow the department to keep tabs on pet owners and stop this from moving underground where it is unregulated.”
Under the Act, the First Schedule is a list of protected wildlife species, and the Second Schedule is a list of wildlife species that are totally protected.
According to its licence, permit and special permit fees regulations, the price of a licence ranges from RM2 for a Malayan vine snake to RM200 for a sambar deer.
Exotic pets became a hot issue recently when the department saved more than 1,000 protected tortoises, worth about RM600,000, in two raids in Petaling Jaya. Four men were arrested.
An animal enthusiast, who identified himself as Amar, said he had a huge collection of animals.
“Over the years, some exotic animals came my way, including two iguanas and one reticulated python,” he said.
“While I did not realise a licence was needed at first, I wasted no time in applying for the necessary paperwork.”
Amar said he owned the python for a year before a friend advised him to apply for a licence.
“It turned out that my python was protected. So I went to fill in the paperwork from the Wildlife and National Parks Department. It was RM150 for the licence,” he said.
He encouraged other enthusiasts to make sure they purchased their pets from reputable dealers and avoid “shady” suppliers.
“Animals sold by unlicensed individuals are often smuggled and kept in cruel conditions. Do not support them by buying animals from them,” said Amar.
“If you want an exotic pet, there are plenty of legal options. Why would you risk your reputation and the animal’s life by dealing with such people?”
