Taxidermied polar bear, shark bones among wildlife imports approved by Singapore in 2024

SINGAPORE – The Republic in 2024 approved the import of a taxidermied specimen of a wild polar bear from Greenland for personal reasons, The Straits Times has learnt.

It was one of the more unusual wildlife items imported into the country for personal reasons that year, according to ST checks on data published by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

The last time a wild polar bear was imported into Singapore for personal reasons was in 2012, according to the CITES trade data.

Other items imported into Singapore for personal reasons in 2024 included some live cacti and their seeds, bones of the endangered winghead shark and garments from wild vicuna, which was once considered endangered.

Native to South America, vicunas are the smallest members of the camel family and are a relative of llamas and alpacas.

Vicuna wool is considered one of the most expensive and is highly sought after in the fashion industry, while shark bones are used to make decorative items.

CITES is an agreement between governments that aims to ensure wildlife species are not threatened with extinction due to international trade.

The convention regulates the international trade of CITES-listed live animals and plants, including their parts and products, by requiring permits to be obtained before consignments are allowed to leave or enter a country. This requirement applies to both businesses and individuals.

Singapore has been a signatory to CITES since 1986. The National Parks Board (NParks) is the national authority responsible for the implementation and enforcement of CITES for Singapore.

As part of the permitting system, those who want to import or export parts and products of wildlife species listed on CITES must indicate the purpose of doing so, such as if it is for personal reasons or for commercial, educational, medical and scientific reasons.

These records are publicly available on the CITES trade database, which is updated on an ongoing basis.

The database noted that the polar bear import approved in 2024 was sourced from the wild in Greenland, and was imported into Singapore from Britain.

CITES classifies fauna and flora according to three categories, or appendices, based on how threatened the species are.

Wildlife listed on Appendix I are considered the most threatened with extinction.

Species listed on this appendix are offered the highest level of protection as international trade in them is generally prohibited, except for cases such as for non-commercial purposes like scientific research.

Species in this category include the Asian arowana and Sunda pangolin.

Species listed in Appendix II are those that are not necessarily threatened with extinction now, but may become so unless trade is closely controlled.

The import of species under Appendix II is permitted with an export or re-exporting permit from the exporting or re-exporting country. This means that international trade of such species is regulated, but not prohibited.

The polar bear falls under Appendix II.

Appendix III lists species included at the request of a country party to CITES that already regulates the trade in the species, and needs the cooperation of other countries to prevent unsustainable or illegal exploitation.

Species under Appendix III include the wild water buffalo and the Bengal fox.

In response to queries from ST, NParks senior director for wildlife trade Anna Wong said that the polar bear import in 2024 was approved as necessary conditions were met.

These include the verification of the re-export CITES permit from Britain issued by the CITES management authority there, she said.

She added: “In addition to the re-export CITES permit, a taxidermy certificate and trophy/health certificate had been obtained to certify that the specimen had been treated and was free from diseases before it was allowed entry into Singapore.”

Polar bear biologist Andrew Derocher from the University of Alberta in Canada, who has studied the arctic mammal for more than 40 years, said that he has no concerns about the international trade in polar bears that is conducted within the context of CITES.

Wild polar bears can be found in five countries in the Arctic, including Canada and Russia.

He added: “There is a legal harvest of polar bears in Greenland and the Greenlandic government has a process for monitoring populations to ensure that the harvest is sustainable.”

Professor Derocher said the harvest of polar bears is not viewed as a significant threat to the species in the Greenland polar bear populations.

However, he said there are some concerns within Canada that harvesting polar bears may not be sustainable due to developments caused by climate change and subsequent population declines.

The main threat to the long-term persistence of polar bears is climate change, he said.

“There will likely be interactions between climate change and sustainable harvest levels for polar bears as arctic warming continues, but this is a developing issue over the coming decades and determined on a population-specific level associated with how fast sea ice conditions are changing,” he added.

As for the wild vicunas, which are found in various countries including Argentina and Peru, Dr Wong noted that commercial trade in certain populations is allowed under CITES.

In particular, vicuna populations listed on Appendix II include certain populations in Argentina and Chile, and the entire populations of Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.

All other populations of vicuna are listed on Appendix I, where commercial trade is prohibited.

The vicuna items allowed into Singapore were listed on the CITES database as being imported from Argentina, Bolivia and Peru via Italy.

Species that are traded internationally without the required permits are considered to fall under the illegal wildlife trade.

Dr Wong said Singapore is committed to stamping out the illegal wildlife trade by adopting a zero-tolerance stance on the illegal trade of endangered wildlife species, as well as their parts and derivatives.

She added: “Agencies in Singapore collaborate closely in a multi-pronged, whole-of-government approach, which includes working with international and local partners to maintain vigilance in regulating and enforcing against illegal wildlife trade.”

For instance, Singapore foiled an attempt to smuggle $1.13 million worth of rhinoceros horns, which fall under Appendix I, in a

record haul in November 2025

.