48-year-old man charged with releasing venomous stingrays into Lower Seletar Reservoir

A 48-year-old man was charged on Sep 20 with releasing three venomous stingrays into Lower Seletar Reservoir.

According to The Straits Times, Larry Tan Chin Guan told the court that he intended to plead guilty for letting go his pet Motoro stingrays without reasonable cause or excuse.

He had allegedly committed the offence between 3pm and 4pm on June 2.

Motoro stingrays can cause extreme pain and even death with their stings.

The marine creatures can also disrupt the ecological balance of the area where they are released.

This is the first time anyone had been charged for abandoning a stingray, said The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA).

A spokesman for the agency said that Motoro rays are allowed to be sold in aquariums as pets.

Tan will be back in court next Tuesday.

First-time offenders convicted of abandoning animals can be jailed for up to a year and fined up to $10,000. Repeat offenders can be jailed for up to two years and fined up to $20,000.