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Man charged with importing and keeping over a dozen tarantulas in Bedok flat

SINGAPORE — A 24-year-old man has been charged with illegally importing more than a dozen tarantulas from the United Kingdom and keeping several of the eight-legged spiders in a Bedok North flat.

Herman Foo Yong He faces 39 charges under the Wild Animals and Birds Act. He is accused of keeping tarantulas, geckos and a hedgehog in his flat.

Herman Foo Yong He faces 39 charges under the Wild Animals and Birds Act. He is accused of keeping tarantulas, geckos and a hedgehog in his flat.

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SINGAPORE — A 24-year-old man has been charged with illegally importing more than a dozen tarantulas from the United Kingdom and keeping several of the eight-legged spiders in a Bedok North flat.

Herman Foo Yong He, who faces 39 charges under the Wild Animals and Birds Act, is also accused of keeping four geckos and a hedgehog in the flat.

He will plead guilty next week, a district court heard on Wednesday (March 18).

Prosecutors from the National Parks Board are seeking a S$17,000 fine.

If convicted of possessing an animal species listed in the Act, Foo could be fined up to S$50,000 for each species, jailed up to two years, or both.

If convicted of illegally importing wild animals, he could be fined up to S$1,000 for each animal.

SPIDERS ALLEGEDLY CAME BY REGISTERED POST

Based on court documents, Foo allegedly imported the tarantulas by registered parcels on Aug 15, 2018.

Fourteen tarantulas were seized from the Singapore Post Air Cargo Centre:

  • Two skeleton tarantulas, native to several South American countries

  • Three golden blue leg baboon tarantulas — yellow-bodied and blue-legged spiders found in South Africa

  • Two burst horned baboon tarantulas, found in southern Africa

  • Two Venezuelan suntiger tarantulas, which are endemic to Venezuela, Guyana and Brazil in South America

  • One straight horned baboon tarantula, found in Zimbabwe and Mozambique in Africa

  • One red-rump baboon tarantula, widely found in Mexico

  • One king baboon tarantula, native to East Africa

  • One “Ami sp Panama” tarantula. Ami refers to a group of tarantulas found in South and Central America

  • One “Theraphosidae sp” tarantula. Theraphosidae refers to a family of large tropical spiders

Court documents did not state what Foo meant to do with them or whether they were found alive.

He also allegedly kept other animals in a flat along Bedok North Avenue 1: 

  • One fat-tailed gecko, native to West Africa

  • Three leopard geckos

  • One four-toed hedgehog

  • Two Singapore blue tarantulas

  • Three “Theraphosidae sp” tarantulas

  • One Antilles pinktoe tarantula, native to the island of Martinique in the Caribbean Sea

  • One Costa Rican zebra tarantula, also known as the striped-knee tarantula and found in Central America

  • One Guatemalan tiger rump tarantula

  • One ornamental baboon tarantula, found in several African countries

  • One Thailand golden fringe tarantula

  • One cobalt blue tarantula, native to Myanmar

  • One Chacho golden knee tarantula, found in South America

  • One Gooty sapphire ornamental tarantula, a critically endangered species found in India

  • One Mexican redleg tarantula

  • One Mexican red knee tarantula

  • One burst horned baboon tarantula

Related topics

tarantula spider animal court crime import

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