Wild Animals and Birds Act
(CHAPTER 351)

(Original Enactment: Ordinance 5 of 1965)

REVISED EDITION 2000
(30th December 2000)
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 —
“authorised officer” means any person appointed under section 4(2) by the Director-General to be an authorised officer;
“Authority” means the Agri-food and Veterinary Authority established under section 3 of the Agri-food and Veterinary Authority Act 2000 (Act 16 of 2000);
“Director-General” means the Director-General, Agri-food and Veterinary Services appointed under section 3(1) of the Animals and Birds Act (Cap. 7);
“wild animals and birds” includes all species of animals and birds of a wild nature, but does not include domestic dogs and cats, horses, cattle, sheep, goats, domestic pigs, poultry and ducks.
[16/2000]
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.
Administration of Act and appointment of authorised officer, etc.
4.—(1)  The Director-General shall be responsible for the administration of this Act, subject to the general or special directions of the Minister.
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(2)  The Director-General may in writing appoint any public officer or any officer of the Authority or of any other statutory authority to be an authorised officer for the purposes of this Act and any order made thereunder.
[16/2000]
(3)  The Director-General may delegate the exercise of all or any of the powers conferred or duties imposed upon him by this Act to any authorised officer.
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[16/2000]
Penalty for killing or keeping wild animals or birds without licence
5.—(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.
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Defence of property
6.—(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.
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Power to issue licences
7.—(1)  The Director-General or the Commissioner of Police may issue licences for the purpose of shooting or taking any wild animal or bird.
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(2)  Any licence issued under subsection (1) shall —
(a)state the name of the person who has been so authorised;
(b)specify the period, which shall not exceed 3 months, during which the licence shall be valid; and
(c)specify the place at which that person may shoot or take any animal or bird specified in the licence.
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Penalty for certain offences
8.  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 been prohibited under section 3(d) 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.
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Setting of spring guns, etc.
9.  Any person who sets, places or prepares or causes to be set, placed or prepared any spring gun, engine, pitfall, sharpened stake 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-General 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.
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[16/2000]
Prohibition of importation of wild animals and birds
10.—(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-General and within the terms of such authorisation.
[16/2000]
(2)  Nothing in subsection (1) 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.
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(3)  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 such 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.
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Conviction under other law
11.—(1)  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.
(2)  No person shall be punished more than once for the same offence.
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Power to arrest without warrant
12.—(1)  Any police officer, officer of customs or authorised officer 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.
[16/2000]
(2)  Such person shall not be arrested if he satisfies the police officer, officer of customs or authorised officer as to his name and residence in Singapore and that he does not intend to abscond.
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[16/2000]
Reward to informer
13.  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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Fees, etc., payable to Authority
14.  All fees, charges, composition fines and moneys collected under this Act or any order made thereunder shall be paid to the Authority.
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[16/2000]