Blow dart found in dead civet in Kembangan residence
Mr Martin Yeoh found the carcass of a civet with a blow dart on its body in his driveway on May 20, 2021. (Photo: Facebook/Martin Yeoh)
SINGAPORE: Wildlife rescue group Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) said on Thursday (May 20) it has filed a case with the authorities after a dead civet was found with a dart embedded in its body.
The civet carcass was discovered by Mr Martin Yeoh, who found it in the driveway of his residence in Kembangan on Thursday morning.
"Woke up to this in the driveway. Looks like a weasel? Killed by a dart of some sort ... Who the hell would do something like this," he wrote in a Facebook post.
Photos on Facebook showed the carcass with a blow dart embedded in its body.
Mr Yeoh, who works as a creative director, told CNA that ACRES got in touch with him and collected the carcass.
He said this is his first time seeing the animal in his area, and added that his sister had seen a group of them "running about at night".
"I really hope they catch the person, it's terrible and unnecessary," he said.
In response to CNA's queries, ACRES co-chief executive officer Anbarasi Boopal said the animal carcass was "brought for post-mortem by NParks' labs".
She added that ACRES has filed a case with the National Parks Board (NParks).
READ: Call of the wild: What happens when you call a wildlife rescuer?
READ: Blowgun darts found in pigeons in Jurong West: ACRES
The wildlife group has also appealed to members of the public for information on anyone using the blow darts.
The blow dart found in the civet has a "thicker steel shaft that can cause serious injuries to not only animals, but also humans", said the wildlife group in a Facebook post.
"From our experience in investigating the pigeons with blow darts since February 2020, there can be absolutely no leads to pursue a case like this," said Ms Anbarasi.
She added that it can be hard to track down the people involved as the sale of blow darts are present on many online trade platforms.
ACRES has also contacted the police regarding an appeal the group made in 2020 and 2021 to look into the sale of blow darts in Singapore, said Ms Anbarasi.
In March this year, ACRES appealed to the police to ban the sale of blow darts and pipes online in Singapore, she added.
According to ACRES, blow darts and blow pipes are easily found on e-commerce sites.
The Animal & Veterinary Service (AVS), a cluster of the National Parks Board (NParks), said on Friday in response to queries from CNA that it is looking into the case.
All feedback received from the public on animal cruelty are taken seriously, said Ms Jessica Kwok, group director of AVS.
"We were concerned when we were alerted to the case of the civet found dead with a blow dart embedded in its body, and are looking into the incident," said Ms Kwok.
First-time offenders caught abusing an animal or bird may be charged under the Animals and Birds Act, and fined up to S$15,000, jailed up to 18 months, or both.
