A 52-year-old man’s hobby of keeping a binturong as a pet without a valid permit landed him in trouble after he was arrested during a wildlife enforcement operation at a residence in Section 32 here on Wednesday.
The arrest was carried out by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) together with the Wildlife Crime Bureau/Special Investigation Intelligence Unit (WCB/SIK) of Bukit Aman’s Internal Security and Public Order Department.
Perhilitan director-general Datuk Abdul Kadir Abu Hashim said the integrated Operation Khazanah raid was conducted at about 1.19pm.
He said the suspect, who owns the house, admitted to keeping the protected animal at the premises.
During the operation, enforcement officers seized a binturong estimated to be worth RM15,000, along with its cage.
“All seized items were taken to the Selangor Perhilitan office for further action,” he said.
According to Abdul Kadir, the case involves the possession of wildlife without a special permit, while the suspect was brought to the Shah Alam district police headquarters for further investigation.
Initial investigations revealed that the man had allegedly obtained the animal from a friend last year.
He added that investigations are ongoing under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 (Act 716).
In a broader context, authorities have repeatedly warned that protected wildlife species should not be kept as pets without the necessary permits, as illegal ownership can threaten conservation efforts and the survival of vulnerable species.
The binturong, scientifically known as Arctictis binturong, is an arboreal mammal from the civet family found across Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, and is listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
