NEWS

ACRES IN THE NEWS
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The Straits Times
14 August 2009

Wildlife rescue centre opens
Acres' facility to take in reptiles and amphibians rescued from smugglers and illegal owners
By Grace Chua

After a rocky five-year journey, the first dedicated wildlife rescue centre here opened its doors yesterday.

The Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) Wildlife Rescue Centre will take in reptiles and amphibians rescued from smugglers and owners who keep them illegally.

Reptiles like star tortoises and bearded dragon lizards, and Asian arowana fish, make up the bulk of illegal shipments confiscated here each year. Most confiscated animals are either repatriated or sent to zoos, the Jurong BirdPark or other facilities.

The rescue centre will be another outlet “if there is a need”, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority said. Native species taken to the centre will be rehabilitated and released back to the wild.

“Having a rescue centre is a sign that there's a problem, but it's also a sign that society wants to solve the problem,” said Acres' 30-year-old founder and executive director Louis Ng .

The idea for the rescue centre was sparked in 2004, after Mr Ng freed a vervet monkey from a cage at a factory here. The monkey, dubbed “Blue”, was temporarily cared for at the Singapore Zoo before being sent to a wildlife sanctuary in its native Africa . This experience convinced Mr Ng, who has a master's in primate conservation, of the need for such a wildlife rescue facility.

Acres' 2ha site off Choa Chu Kang was originally slated to open in 2007, but construction on the project stalled due to lack of funds.

The non-profit group also faced problems allegedly caused by its building contractor after woodchips, used to level a 100m stretch of ground, rotted and contaminated the area.

A civil suit against A.N.A. Contractor and its director was heard in May, and judgment is pending.

The facility's administrative office, education centre and staff living quarters opened last September, and the rescue area was partially opened yesterday. It is able to house up to 50 animals at the moment in 3m by 3m cages, with veterinarians on hand to care for the sick.

After judgment is passed on the suit, construction will begin on open-air enclosures. When complete, the centre will house up to 400 creatures.

But financial worries remain.

The centre has a monthly operating budget of $20,000, including for animal care, salaries and land rental, and the organisation has just six months' funding at present, said Mr Ng, who is always in search of committed volunteers to help out.

Besides the rescue operations, Acres also carries out education and outreach programmes to discourage people from buying illegal exotic pets.

Singapore is a wildlife smuggling hub because of its transport networks and proximity to sources of animals, according to wildlife trade watchdog Traffic. In 2007, there were 20 cases of illegal animal trading or possession, and the figure rose to 22 last year. This year to date, there have been 14 such cases.

ingapore is a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites), and has strict penalties for smuggling protected wildlife: a maximum fine of $50,000 per Cites species, up to $500,000 and/or a jail term of up to two years.

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