Laws must be made to protect someone. Yet, ....

It was last year, I think, I read from the Star newspaper that those in possession of certain species of animals have to report to the wildlife department and request for special permission to keep them.

As an animal and fish lover, I have kept at one time or another canaries, budgerigars, pigeons, rabbits, chickens, geese, turkeys, ducks and various kinds of fish such as the angel-fish, goldfish, zebra fish, discus fish, bettas and many others, always caring for them and breeding them when they matured.

At the time when I read the news report regarding having to request for special permission to keep certain species, I have in my possession two Star Tortoise which I have kept for about eight years since my retirement as a teacher and four pig-nosed turtles which i have reared for more than two years. And according to the news report they were the ones requiring special permission to keep.

Well, I certainly would want to keep them as I love those tortoises and turtles. They are so cute and beautiful. So, with a sincere desire to do my part for them, I approached the wildilfe department in Sungai Petani. I was told there was no such instructions and that I could leave my address behind so that should anything crop up they could inform me. I was wary of that, it was true. So I told them I would be back another time.

Then, early this year the same report appeared in the Star again and I approached the same wildlife department and this time they told me they were conscious of the matter and I was given a faxed form from the Alor Star department. I filled up the form and posted it. An acknowledgement letter dated 29 April 2010 was received.
However, when the special permit came, I was shocked and disappointed that I was given permission only to keep the pig-nosed turtle but not the Star Tortoise.

So, I immediately sent an appeal to the department to be allowed to keep my two beloved Star Tortoises, a pair of two beautiful pets I have loved and cared for for eight long years. In my letter of appeal I request that my application to keep them ought to be given consideration as I have kept them since they were the size of fifty-cent coins. Furthermore, as any wildlife officer would have realised, animals kept for so long by humans cannot survive in the wild as they have been fed special food that cannot be found in the wild. To return them to the wild is to send them to their death. Certainly that is not the intention of those people who thought of laws to protect those in the wild. So, they need special care which I believe I am capable of providing as proved by their good growth. In fact, I am very confident that soon they would be breeding. In doing so I would be ensuring that the species would not threatened with extinction.

The lady officer in the wildlife department was sympathetic to my cause and even wnet the extra mile to have my appeal reach the main department before the date when the law would come into effect.

Then, in July, another lady officer rang me and inform me that a letter was being prepared to be sent to me to inform me that the appeal cannot be considered. Apparently, despite all my reasoning with her, she could not change her decision. When I talked of the possibility of breeding those Star Tortoise, she even told me breeding would also be an offence. I told her breeding among animals is a natural process which no law can consider an offence. Thus, I ended the conversation with my request for the letter so that I could appeal through the press and possibly ambassador or government of India, as I was also told that the Indian government had insisted that all Star Tortoises be sent back to it. Anyway, unless and until I am sure my Star Tortoises would not face misery and death, I intend to care for them as I love my pets. Anyway, I have talked to some people regarding this matter and they agreed that whatever law which comes into effect should not penalise those who have already been rearing those animals which had been bought legally.

Talking about legality, I was even told by the lady that back then in 2002, those Star Tortoise had been smuggled in and so I was supposed to be keeping smuggled goods. Oh my gosh! If those Star Tortoises were smuggled animals, why were we never informed then or earlier. I read widely and nowhere did I come across such information. And those pets were sold openly in almost every pet shop in the country. It is only this year that i was told by one shop that its Star Tortoise was not for sale, only for show as they are not allowed to sell. In my mind I was thinking if I was keeping smuggled goods, who had abetted this innocent culprit?

And with that, one question lingered at the back of my mind. Should not those who have bought the animals earlier be given a special permit, just like we give permits for keeping our endangered 'Murai Hutan'?

I am still waiting for my letter from the department so that I can reach out to the higher authorities to be allowed to keep my pets. After all, this is the least I can do for my beloved pets, certainly not just giving them to someone unsure of ensuring their health and safety. This is my responsibility.

Furthermore, whose interest would the law be protecting if it removes the ones supposed to be protected from its present safe surroundings and care to a more precarious and uncertain future?