19-year-old who did backflip in rhino pen, consumed cannabis and cut off electric tag admits to offences

SINGAPORE - A youth caught on video doing a backflip inside the white rhinoceros enclosure at the Singapore Zoo pleaded guilty to eight charges for offences including mischief and criminal trespass in a district court on Thursday (Nov 25).

Ralph Wee Yi Kai, 19, who appeared in court via video-link, had performed the stunt on Dec 17 last year.

The police, who were alerted to the case at around 5.40pm that day, said: "Preliminary investigations revealed that the man's companion, an 18-year-old woman, allegedly filmed him before the man posted the video on his TikTok account, using the moniker @ralphwee_.

"Through investigations, officers from Woodlands Police Division established the identities of the man and woman on the same evening."

The police later issued the woman a stern warning for abetting criminal trespass.

Wee was first charged in July with two counts of mischief and one count each of vandalism and criminal trespass.

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He was out on bail of $15,000 when he consumed cannabis. He had the bail revoked and was remanded.

On Oct 13, he appeared in court via video link and was charged with one count of drug consumption.

He was later released on bail of $20,000.

Instead of keeping out of trouble, he committed other offences, including cutting off his electronic tag on Oct 26.

Wee was placed back in remand soon after he failed to turn up in court on Nov 5 and had a warrant of arrest issued against him.