Wildlife Rescue › Wildlife Rescue FAQs
“A man is truly ethical only when he obeys the compulsion to help all life which he is able to assist, and shrinks from injuring anything that lives.”
— Albert Schweitzer

Wildlife Rescue FAQs

What animals does ACRES rescue?

ACRES rescues any wild animals in need of help in Singapore. This includes native wild animals (such as pythons, monitor lizards, civets and pangolins) and also exotic animals who have been illegally brought into Singapore to be illegally sold as pets, who may be handed over to us by their owners, or may be found abandoned.

At the ACRES Wildlife Rescue Centre (AWRC) we can, at this stage, house rescued reptiles and amphibians only. In the future we will be able to house certain species of mammals too.

What happens to the animals that you rescue?

For native wild animals, if they pass their health checks they will be released back into the wild, at a suitable site, straight away. If a native reptile or amphibian needs treatment and some time to recover before being released back to the wild, we will bring them to the AWRC for treatment and for a recovery period in the Wildlife Recovery and Rehabilitation Centre.

If a rescued native mammal or bird cannot be returned straight to the wild, we will provide veterinary treatment and then hand them over to the AVA. In the future, once construction of the AWRC is completed, we will be able to take all rescued mammals in for treatment at the AWRC if necessary.

For reptiles and amphibians (and in the future, mammals) rescued from the illegal wildlife trade, these animals will have a safe home at the AWRC for as long as they need it, and we will do our best to repatriate them to rescue centres in their country of origin.

What do I do if I find a wild animal in need of help?

Call the ACRES Wildlife Rescue Hotline on 97837782 for advice and assistance. There will be someone to take your call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

I’ve been keeping a turtle as a pet, but I didn’t know it was illegal. Now that I know, can I hand over my turtle to ACRES?

Yes, you can bring the animal to the AWRC (91 Jalan Lekar, Singapore 698917) or, if you are unable to come here yourself, we can come and collect the animal from you. For more details please contact Ms. Anbarasi Boopal, Director of the AWRC at anbu@acres.org.sg or call the ACRES Wildlife Rescue Hotline on 97837782.

I have a red eared slider that I no longer want to keep - can I hand him over to ACRES even though it is not illegal to keep them?

ACRES does not take in red-eared sliders at the AWRC as we need to keep the space we have at the Wildlife Recovery and Rehabilitation Centre for rescued exotic animals that are illegal to be kept as pets in Singapore and also for native animals in need of help.

If you really cannot keep your red eared slider as a pet anymore it is important that you find a proper, secure home for him.

Please do not release your red-eared slider into a park or nature reserve- not only is this against the law, but he or she may well die a slow, painful death if he cannot find food or a safe place to live. If he does survive, his presence will unbalance Singapore’s delicate ecosystem and his competing for food will push our native turtles and other wild animals towards extinction.

Do I have to pay for ACRES to come and remove a wild animal from my home or garden?

We do not charge to come and remove wild animals from your home, although donations are always much appreciated and allow us to continue and expand our wildlife rescue efforts.

Can I visit the animals at the AWRC?

Unfortunately, as of 2010, you cannot see the animals at the AWRC, as they are all housed in a quarantine facility which is accessible to ACRES staff only. However, you are more than welcome to drop by and learn more about our wildlife rescue work and all our other animal protection programmes! We also have a range of educational programmes on offer at the AWRC for schools, community groups, or anyone who would like to learn more about wildlife protection.

Can I volunteer to help look after the rescued animals at the AWRC?

Yes, ACRES has a special “Wildlife Guardians” volunteer programme for people aged over 17, which includes opportunities to assist with animal care at the AWRC. This involves a compulsory training course, and you must also have various vaccinations before you can work with the animals.

More details about the Wildlife Guardians programme can be found here.

Can we adopt animals from the AWRC and keep them as pets?

You cannot adopt any of the animals from the AWRC and take them home with you, as they are either exotic animals that are illegal to keep as pets in Singapore, or native wild animals who need to be returned to the wild. ACRES is also strongly against the keeping of wild animals as pets on welfare grounds, so this is not something we would ever encourage.

However, you are very welcome to sponsor an animal at the AWRC, perhaps paying for his or her food, their medical care, making their enclosure a comfortable home etc. For more details please contact contact Anbarasi Boopal, Director of the AWRC at anbu@acres.org.sg.

How can we support the wildlife rescue work of ACRES?

We are always in need of funds to keep our rescue services going.

You can support our wildlife rescue work through our Animal Benefactor Programme.

Our wildlife rescue service operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Right now, we are being called to rescue as many as 30 animals every month.

It costs us anywhere from SGD$80 to SGD$500 to rescue a tortoise, pangolin, monitor lizard or other wild animal and release him or her back into the wild. This includes the cost of a medical check-up, a microchip implant, medication, treatment, equipment, manpower and transportation. And the costs are much higher for injured creatures who need long-term care and nursing before they are well enough to be released.

Not only are funds needed to keep the AWRC running (which means regularly restocking supplies of everything from food and substrate to diesel and disinfectant), we also need to upgrade our medical equipment.

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Number of Animals Rescued Since August 2009: 200,000 (And Counting)
© 2010 Animal Concerns Research and Education Society [ACRES]