Student fined S$17,000 for importing 23 tarantulas, keeping another 20 in Bedok flat

SINGAPORE — A Nanyang Technological University (NTU) undergraduate was fined S$17,000 on Wednesday (March 25), after admitting to keeping almost two dozen tarantulas in his Bedok North flat.

Two of them — a Mexican red knee and a Mexican redleg — are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna or Flora (Cites).

Herman Foo Yong He had also ordered another 14 tarantulas from a seller in the United Kingdom, who threw in another nine of them as gifts.

Foo, 24, pleaded guilty in a district court to 13 charges under the Wild Animals and Birds Act and the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act. Another 26 similar charges were considered for sentencing. 

Apart from the tarantulas, he had kept a hedgehog, three leopard geckos, one fat-tailed gecko and a jumping spider. The last is a common spider sometimes found in homes here.

The court heard that Foo’s offences came to light on Aug 15, 2018, when a National Parks Board (NParks) officer inspected a registered post parcel — addressed to Foo — at the Singapore Post Air Cargo Centre. 

The officer found 23 live tarantulas in containers in the parcel, which had been sent from the UK. It also contained two black T-shirts and a business card from a pet shop in the UK.

The spiders included:

• 2 skeleton tarantulas, native to several South American countries

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

• 2 burst horned baboon tarantulas, found in southern Africa

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

Further investigations revealed that Foo was keeping another 20 tarantulas in his flat, located along Bedok North Avenue 1. 

These included:

• 2 Singapore blue tarantulas

• 1 Chacho golden knee tarantula, found in South America

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

NParks prosecutor Peter Liew sought the fine imposed, saying that the authorities asked for a higher fine to protect endangered animals and deter illegal trade.

In his written mitigation plea, Foo said that he grew fascinated with insects and wildlife when his mother bought him some crickets in his childhood.

After the authorities seized his animals, he said that he sought to prove he had learned his lesson by working as a veterinary technician. He also created a mobile application to reunite pet owners with their missing pets.

“I know there’s no excuse for what I’ve committed, especially for keeping a protected species. I didn’t know about it back then. I hope for a lighter sentence due to my financial situation and the things I’ve done to prove that I’ve changed, and will not commit any more offences,” he added.

When he told District Judge Adam Nakhoda that he was able to pay the full fine, although it was originally meant for his school fees, the judge allowed him to pay S$5,000 first and settle the rest in instalments.

For possessing an animal species listed in the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act, Foo could have been fined up to S$50,000 for each species, jailed up to two years, or both.

For illegally importing or keeping wild animals, he could have been fined up to S$1,000 for each animal.

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