NEWS
ACRES IN THE NEWS
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The Straits Times Forum
27 November 2004
Why Acres committed to finding pet tiger
I refer to the letter, “Animal rights group should get focus right” (ST, Nov 15). Acres feels that the welfare of individual animals is as important as the conservation of a whole species and so we take every tip-off seriously.
Having received seven tip-offs about a tiger being kept as a pet, we are certain the tiger exists, and we will make every effort to find it.
Acres indeed has limited resources, having only $7,000 left in the bank at the time we offered a reward - $7,000 we would gladly spend to help a tiger.
It is difficult to police and curb the illegal wildlife trade, especially in countries like Indonesia (the source of most of these smuggled animals), considering the large number of islands, limited enforcement staff and enormous borders.
However, in a small country like Singapore, which has been regularly labelled the centre of the illegal wildlife trade, control of and putting an end to this illicit trade should be within reach.
Blue, the vervet monkey Acres rescued and repatriated, now lives in a large enclosure with other vervet monkeys after being reintegrated into a social group.
Wild animals are inherently unpredictable and should never be kept as pets, as is evident with Siegfried and Roy’s tiger which attacked Roy after years of being tamed, and Chawang, an elephant at the Singapore Zoo which attacked his keeper of many years, unprovoked.
Similarly, the tiger and Malayan sun bear may one day turn on their owners or escape from their enclosure and pose a very serious public safety risk.
Oxford University researchers have deemed wild animals to be poor candidates for a life of captivity in zoos. In private hands, their welfare is seriously compromised, and animals that roam over a large territory in the wild, like tigers, do not take kindly to being confined.
While there is no easy way to wipe out the illegal wildlife trade, Acres is doing its part in Singapore, taking small steps with the end goal of wiping out the trade.
If Singaporeans create a demand for these animals, people in the habitat countries will continue to poach them.
Ultimately, if one cannot seriously put in the effort to save a single animal, it is doubtful that he or she has the commitment to help the entire species.
Acres thanks the writer for his suggestions and we would like to invite him to call us on 9783-7782 so that we can further address his concerns.
Tamara Emir (Ms)
Deputy Executive Director
Acres
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