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VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE

VOLUNTEERING FOR ACRES
By James Chua and Shahira Binte Shari

The first time we heard about Animal Concerns Research & Education Society (Acres) was from our friend. The next thing we knew, we were at a forum on animal cruelty at The Substation which was held this mid year. We were unaware of wildlife cruelty and trade until we learnt about it at the talk. Acres impressed us with the actions they take against such acts of cruelty and we wanted to help and learn even more.

Between late October to early November, Acres had a one-month campaign called “Wild but Not Free”, with the goal of creating awareness about the wildlife trade amongst the public, and also about the animal rescue hotline. The campaign was held at several shopping centres, to target the crowds. We helped out as volunteers in this campaign, and with many others, we gave out brochures and flyers to the public, explaining to them about Acres, the wildlife trade and the penalties of keeping an illegal pet.

Along with the campaign, Acres also appeared on the news about searching for a tiger and sun bear which was believed to be kept as a pet in the vicinity of Sixth Avenue . Everybody knows that keeping a wild animal as a pet will cause danger to the animal itself and the public. A wild animal will always have its hunting instinct and you'll never know when it might attack you. We followed Acres to give out flyers to several houses at the Sixth Avenue area, explaining to the people living there about the wild animals being kept. It was a great experience for us.

“I followed Acres to do some animal rescue work, responding to the hotline calls from the public about people keeping/selling illegal pets. A good example of animal rescue work that we do was when we went to a house with the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) in early December. A total of eleven animals and seven species; a bearded dragon, a green tree python, a carpet python, a rainbow boa, four tarantulas and two scorpions were confiscated. It was one of the biggest animal rescues Acres had, and definitely for me too.

Through helping at the campaign and animal rescues, I've learnt a lot about animal behaviours and animal rights. I think Singaporeans should open up their mind more, and not just laugh at us, saying that whatever we do won't change anything. At least we are doing something to help, rather than sit there like those who laugh at us, doing nothing at all. I would love to help Acres anytime, anywhere. I hope more people would help out, financially or physically.” - James

“I helped to pass flyers out at Sixth Avenue to create public awareness about the tiger that was allegedly being kept in a house here in Singapore . It was a tiring job but at the end of the day, I felt satisfied, because I had actually raised public awareness and contributed what I could to help the animals. I know I will never regret helping Acres despite facing some resistance from my family. Being with Acres made me open up my eyes to a lot of things that I never knew.” - Shahira

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LESSONS ABOUT COMPASSION FOR ANIMALS
By Rosanna Lee

As the school holidays were approaching, I decided to look for some volunteering work and this was how I came to know about Acres. Since I was a kid, I have always wanted to do something to help the animals, simply because I love animals. So, I was really glad when Acres asked me to help out in their roadshows.

Though I am an animal-lover, I was not aware that the illegal trade in wildlife was so rampant in Singapore until I joined Acres. I was even more shocked when I learned that one in five pet shops in Singapore was actually illegally selling wild animals. Who would expect Singapore to be such a vibrant hotspot for illegal wildlife trade? Ignorance always blinds us from the truth. Obviously, there is a serious lack of awareness among Singaporeans about the situation in Singapore regarding wildlife.

Therefore, starting in October this year, Acres held roadshows in various locations to educate the public about issues which concern animals and us. We set up booths and we used soft toys and other props to display how the animals were being smuggled into and out of Singapore . Although it was really exhausting to do the roadshows, it was indeed an enriching experience. Through them, I learned more about Acres and its work in the past four years. I discovered more about the bear bile trade in China , the scandalous incident about the pink dolphins in Sentosa, the frantic tiger search in Sixth Avenue and the animals rescued by Acres. This equipped me with the necessary knowledge to explain to the people what is happening in Singapore.

Through interacting with different people from all walks of life during the roadshows, I realize there are certain values and misconceptions which are deeply rooted among the Chinese which partly cause the rampant illegal wildlife trade in Singapore . Let me give you an example. The Chinese believes that “Yi Xing Bu Xing” – that is if you need certain functions of an organ, you should eat the same organ from other animals. For instance, some parents will cook pigs' brains soup for their children if their children are having major exams. They believe that it will help them to become smarter and their brains will become more flexible. These kinds of notions are not based on scientific research but are being passed down from generation to generation. As the majority of the population in Singapore is Chinese, I feel that it is imperative to change the mindset of the younger generation of Chinese. In this area, I think Acres is doing a great job in educating the public.

What we are asking the public is to give animals equal consideration as that given to humans and help those which are suffering in silence. I strongly believe that as individuals, we can all do our part to make the world a better home.

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