Sniffer dogs are being used at border checkpoints to detect the smuggling of endangered animals and items such as elephant ivory and pangolin scales, to further clamp down on wildlife smuggling.
This new K9 unit under the National Parks Board (NParks) is specially trained to sniff out fauna and wildlife products that may be hidden in cargo or luggage.
This comes as Singapore gears up for its ban on all trade in ivory, which will kick in next week.
The dogs' heightened sense of smell will detect items that may not be spotted by radiographic scanners or visual inspection.
The dog breeds in the K9 unit include labrador retrievers and English springer spaniels.
The K9 unit was announced yesterday at the official opening of Singapore's first Centre for Wildlife Forensics.
Scientists at the centre have been closely studying animal and timber samples from illegal imports to identify the species and trace their source.
This would help the authorities here and elsewhere in the region clamp down on syndicates involved in illegal wildlife trading.
From Sept 1, under Singapore's ban on the domestic trade in ivory - announced in 2019 - the sale of elephant ivory and ivory products will be prohibited.
Those found selling such products or displaying elephant ivory for sale can be fined up to $10,000 per specimen, not exceeding $100,000, or jailed for up to a year, or face both punishments.
The ban includes ivory that was brought into Singapore before 1990, when a ban on international ivory trade was implemented by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites).
"The trade in such pre-convention ivory is currently not regulated, so once our upcoming ban takes effect, we will be able to close this loophole on our shores," said Minister for National Development Desmond Lee at the centre's official opening yesterday.
Mr Lee added that since the announcement of the ban, the authorities have been engaging the industry and the community to help manage pre-1990 ivory stocks.
He noted that putting an end to illegal wildlife trade is an ongoing process. "We are... reviewing our laws to strengthen our regulatory regime and enforcement powers to tackle illegal wildlife trade. We will share more details when ready," he added.
In April 2019, Singapore made the largest seizure of pangolin scales globally in five years. Numerous bags of pangolin scales and carved ivory were hidden behind a shipment of frozen meat. Around 17,000 pangolins were killed for the scales in that shipment.
"The patterns of (such illegal shipments) are not fixed, and are pretty dynamic, and that's why we have to always remain vigilant and increase our capacity in detection through the K9 unit," said Dr Adrian Loo, NParks' group director of wildlife management.
Over the past year, the new centre, at the NParks' Animal And Plant Health Centre in Lim Chu Kang, has been identifying and analysing specimens seized from illegal wildlife trade. They include the body parts of elephants, rhinos, pangolins, sharks, rays and seahorses, as well as timber.
The forensic scientists use various DNA and chemical methods to identify species and help solve puzzles and tie together loose links related to illegal animal trafficking networks.
Dr Loo added that DNA methods are crucial to identify animal body parts that are unrecognisable, or crushed into powder.
Sniffer dogs to help fight wildlife trafficking
