Man tries to smuggle 2 hedgehogs through Woodlands Checkpoint
Channel NewsAsia 3 Sep 19; SINGAPORE: Two live hedgehogs were found hidden in a Singapore-registered car at the Woodlands Checkpoint by Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers on Saturday (Aug 31). The animals were wrapped in camouflage netting and hidden in the spare tyre compartment of the vehicle. ICA said a 42-year-old Singaporean man was referred to the National Parks Board (NParks) for further investigation and that the hedgehogs are now under the care of Wildlife Reserves Singapore. �Animals like hedgehogs are not suitable as pets as they may transmit zoonotic diseases to humans and can be a public safety risk if mishandled or if they escape. "These non-native animals may also pose a threat to local biodiversity if released into the environment,� ICA said in a Facebook post on Tuesday. Several attempts to smuggle animals into Singapore via the land checkpoints have been made in recent months. On Aug 10, ICA officers thwarted an attempt to smuggle 815 birds thr...