Wild Animals and Birds Act

(CHAPTER 351)

(Original Enactment: Ordinance 5 of 1965)

REVISED EDITION 1985

(30th March 1987)

An Act relating to wild animals and birds.

[22nd October 1965]

Short title

1. This Act may be cited as the Wild Animals and Birds Act.

Interpretation

2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires —

“Director” means the Director of Primary Production and includes the Deputy Director of Primary Production;

“veterinary authority” means the Director of Primary Production, the Deputy Director of Primary Production and the Senior Primary Production Officer, and includes any person appointed in writing by the Director of Primary Production to be a veterinary authority under section 3(2) of the Animals and Birds Act [Cap. 7];

“wild animals and birds” includes all species of animals and birds, ferae naturae, but does not include domestic dogs and cats, horses, cattle, sheep, goats, domestic pigs, poultry and ducks.

Power to make orders

3. The Minister may by order —

(a)	declare the time of the year during which any wild animal or bird shall not be killed or taken;
(b)	declare the time of the year which shall be deemed to be the breeding season of any wild animal or bird;
(c)	prohibit within Singapore or any part thereof the killing or taking of any wild animal or bird;
(d)	prohibit within Singapore or any part thereof the netting, snaring or taking by means of any contrivance of any wild animal or bird;
(e)	provide for the licensing of places where wild animals and birds are kept in captivity and the fees that shall be payable for the issue of a licence; and
(f)	provide for the control, registration and licensing of any species of wild animal or bird.

Penalty for killing or keeping wild animals or birds without a licence

4.—(1) Any person who kills, takes or keeps any wild animal or bird other than those specified in the Schedule without a licence shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000 and to the forfeiture of the wild animal or bird.

(2) The Minister may from time to time, by notification in the Gazette, add to, alter or amend the Schedule.

Defence of property

5.—(1) Nothing in this Act shall make it unlawful for the occupier or person in charge of any land to kill or take any wild animal or bird found damaging or destroying the crops or any other property thereon.

(2) In any prosecution under this Act, the onus of proof of the fact that any wild animal or bird was found damaging or destroying crops or other property shall be upon the person alleging the fact.

Power to issue licences

6.—(1) The Director or the Commissioner of Police may issue licences for the purpose of shooting or taking any wild animal or bird.

(2) Any licence issued under subsection (1) shall state the name of the person who has been so authorised and specify the period, which shall not exceed 3 months, during which the licence shall be valid and shall specify the place at which that person may shoot or take any animal or bird specified in the licence.

Penalty for certain offences

7. A person who —

(a)	kills or takes or has in his possession the body of any wild animal or bird killed or taken in contravention of an order made under section 3(a);
(b)	takes, destroys or has in his possession the eggs of any wild bird during the time of the year which has been declared under section 3(a) to be the time during which such a bird shall not be killed, or during the breeding season, declared under section 3(b), in respect of such a bird;
(c)	kills or takes any wild animal or bird, the killing or taking of which is prohibited under the provisions of this Act;
(d)	nets, snares or takes by means of any contrivance any wild animal or bird, which has under section 3(d) been prohibited from netting, snaring or taking by means of any contrivance; or
(e)	exposes or offers for sale or exports any wild animal or bird other than those specified in the Schedule or the skin or plumage of any such wild animal or bird, unless he can show that the animal or bird was lawfully killed or taken,

shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000 and to the forfeiture of the wild animal or bird.

Setting of spring guns, etc.

8. Any person who sets, places or prepares or causes to be set, placed or prepared any spring gun, engine, pitfall, sharpened stakes or other contrivance likely to endanger human life or inflict grievous hurt, except for the purpose of destroying some noxious wild animal with the written permission of the Director or the Commissioner of Police, shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both.

Prohibition of importation of wild animals and birds

9.—(1) No person shall import into Singapore any wild animal or bird whether alive or dead, or any part thereof, except under a written authorisation either general or special signed by or on behalf of the Director and within the terms of such authorisation:

Provided that nothing in this subsection shall be deemed to prohibit the importation into Singapore of any wild animal or bird in cold storage to be used for food where the importer can show that the animal or bird was killed outside Malaysia, Burma, Kampuchea, Indonesia, Laos, Vietnam or Thailand.

(2) Any person who imports or attempts to import into or exports or attempts to export from Singapore any wild animal or bird or part thereof —

(a)	without an authorisation under subsection (1); or
(b)	in contravention of the terms of an authorisation,

shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000 in respect of each such wild animal or bird or any part thereof.

Conviction under other law

10. Nothing in this Act shall be deemed to prevent the prosecution, conviction and punishment of any person according to the provisions of any other written law for the time being in force in Singapore; but so that no person shall be punished more than once for the same offence.

Power to arrest without warrant

11. Any police officer, officer of customs or veterinary authority may stop and arrest without warrant any person who within his view commits an offence under this Act or any order or rule made thereunder:

Provided that such a person shall not be arrested if he satisfies the police officer, officer of customs or veterinary authority as to his name and residence in Singapore and that he does not intend to abscond.

Reward to informer

12. The court may direct any fine or any portion of any fine imposed or levied under this Act to be paid to the informer.

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