Man gets S$7,000 fine for keeping critically endangered Sunda slow loris, sugar gliders at his office

SINGAPORE — He claimed to be temporarily looking after a critically endangered Sunda slow loris until he knew who to hand it to, but Lau Chai Hock ended up keeping the nocturnal mammal for about three months before it was seized by the authorities.

On Wednesday (Dec 7), the 55-year-old Singaporean was handed a S$7,000 fine after he pleaded guilty to three charges under the Wildlife Act related to the keeping of the primate and two sugar gliders, which are small marsupials native to Australia that are able to glide through the air.

Four other charges under the same Act, also related to the keeping of three other sugar gliders and a green iguana, were taken into consideration for Lau’s sentencing.

Prosecutor Wendy Tan for the National Parks Board (NParks) told the court that Lau came into possession of the Sunda slow loris at a coffee shop located in the Primz BizHub light industrial building in Woodlands sometime in April last year.

She said that an “unknown man” who approached Lau told him that the animal was found lying on the side of the road and asked if Lau wanted to take care of it. Lau agreed.

It was not stated how the authorities came to know of the slow loris in Lau’s possession but NParks eventually seized it at his workplace in Sungei Kadut about three months later during an inspection on July 14.

The sugar gliders and the green iguana were also found within the premises that day.

No details were given as to how Lau came into possession of the green iguana, but he claimed that two sugar gliders, which are the subject of the charges to which he pleaded guilty, were left at the doorstep of his workplace by another unknown person.

Ms Anbarasi Boopal, co-chief executive officer of wildlife rescue group Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres),  told TODAY separately that it had received a tip-off about the possession of the Sunda slow loris and other animals on its hotline.

In order to verify the anonymous tip-off, Ms Anbarasi said that Acres' animal crime investigation unit carried out a check to get the exact location of where Lau was keeping the animals and handed all the relevant information to NParks for a follow-up.

"Acres would like to thank NParks for taking swift enforcement action and the prosecution," Ms Anbarasi added. 

"This is only possible because of members of public who are willing to blow the whistle and be the eyes and ears on the ground to tackle the illegal wildlife trade together." 

The Sunda slow loris, the only venomous primate in Singapore, is listed as a protected wildlife species under Part I of the Schedule to the Wildlife (Protected Wildlife Species) Rules 2020.

NParks said that the global population of the Sunda slow loris is decreasing due to habitat loss and illegal pet trade.

As for the sugar gliders and the green iguana, they are considered wildlife under Singapore’s laws, and it is an offence to keep any of these three animals without the written approval of the director-general of wildlife management.

For each of his charges under the Wildlife Act, Lau could have been fined up to S$10,000 or jailed up to six months, or both.