ACRES WILDLIFE RESCUE CENTRE
AWRC Rescue Stories
The ACRES Wildlife Rescue Centre (AWRC) is Singapore 's first facility dedicated to the rescue of wild animals from the illegal wildlife trade and the rescue and rehabilitation of native wild animals.
Meet the rescued animals to benefit from the AWRC and the work of the 24-hour ACRES Wildlife Rescue Team!
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Boris and Tinytot, the star tortoises. |
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Sirius, Spica, Vega and Ankaa, the star tortoises. On 20th October 2009, four star tortoises arrived at the AWRC together. All were found abandoned by a member of the public. The four fully-grown adult males, named Sirius, Spica, Vega and Ankaa after the stars, are settling well in their new surroundings at the AWRC. They like to huddle together in one corner during the afternoon, but the enclosure keeps them busy from early in the mornings; eating, hiding and soaking in their water trays during the hot hours. Each of them has their own hideaway spot which they disappear into at nights. The caregivers enjoy observing them because of the various behaviours they display, particularly the act of running and exploring any new item in the enclosure. Sirius is especially nosy and keeps on running around and exploring everything! |
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Tyrant, the common snapping turtle. Tyrant was kept as a pet for two years, in a tiny, filthy tank, just two times his length and so narrow his body only just fitted, meaning he could not even turn around. With only two inches of water, he could not even act on his most basic instinct to swim. Fed a diet of only koi fish pellets when we found him, Tyrant was in desperate need of rescue and a new home, and his owners agreed to hand him over to us. Now in our care, Tyrant will enjoy a much larger living space where he can swim freely and also a proper, healthy diet. |
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Toblerone, the pig-nosed turtle. Toblerone was kept as a pet for about nine years, before his owners decided it was in his best interest to hand him over to the care of ACRES. Like so many other turtles misguidedly kept as pets, Toblerone has been fed a totally unnatural diet of pelleted food only. We are now slowly encouraging him to eat healthy greens such as kangkong, spinach and water cress, but, like a stubborn toddler, he does not want to eat his veggies! He is slowly to starting to show more interest though, and swims around his greens with curiosity. Since he has very prominent triangular markings on his shell, we decided Toblerone was the perfect name for him! |
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Hawksbill turtle rescues 160 rare hawksbill turtle hatchlings recently found their way safely into the ocean, with a little help from ACRES! |
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East Coast Park rescue The first rescue took place at East Coast Park on the 15 th of September, when we were alerted to hatchlings sighted not making their way into the sea as they should, but instead heading inland towards a country club! These hatchlings only have a very limited amount of stored resources, and once hatched must get to the sea quickly in order to find food and survive. After hearing that these baby turtles were in trouble, the ACRES Wildlife Rescue Team was soon on its way to the scene. Upon arriving, we were surprised to find the hatchlings spread out over a wide area, some having come very far inland. Sadly, for some, help arrived too late and they had already perished under the hot sun. However, many were still going strong- just sadly in the wrong direction. So, together with staff from NParks and Cicada Tree Eco-place , we gently gathered up them and released them on the beach. The hatchlings knew exactly what to do and scurried away into the sea, venturing into their watery habitat for the first time. However, two hatchlings were very weak from exhaustion, one close to death, and needed emergency veterinary care if they were going to have any chance of survival. ACRES took these turtles into our temporary care, providing specialist care through the night and rehydrating them every two hours. Thankfully, both were much stronger by the next morning and moving around well, and were taken back to where they were found and released into the sea. |
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Kusu Island rescue Just a few days later, we were alerted to the another case of stranded hawksbill turtle hatchlings- this time stranded in a lagoon at Kusu Island, their route to the sea blocked off. The overcrowded conditions at the lagoon meant that the hatchlings were attacking and injuring each other. Some of the hatchlings were covered in paint too, and urgently needed to be cleaned up. Again, the ACRES Wildlife Rescue Team sprung into action, traveling over to Kusu Island where, in collaboration with Sentosa, we were able to successfully relocate 137 hatchlings from the lagoon back into the sea over the next three days. Hawksbill turtles are critically endangered, and every single one of these rescued turtles will potentially play a vital role in increasing their numbers in the wild. All of these hatchlings have a tough journey in life ahead and the odds stacked against them, but ACRES is proud to have been able to assist these precious endangered turtles and given them a helping hand at the start of their- hopefully long and fruitful- lives. |
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Darlie, the reticulated python. Darlie was brought to us after being found stuck inside a generator box. We imagine he probably he went in there in search of a warm spot during the recent heavy rains and unfortunately got stuck there. Darlie is beautifully patterned and very shy, usually only starting to venture out of his private hiding areas at 2am! On hot days he has been seen enjoying a refreshing dip in his tub of water. Update: Darlie was successfully released back into the wild on the 24th of September! |
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Kermit, the pig-nosed turtle. Kermit was handed over to ACRES after being kept as a pet. Like many wild animals who end up as pets, he has been fed a completely inappropriate diet of koi pellets, which we have slowly weaned him off. Although reluctant to try his new diet of veggies at first, Kermit is now happily munching on his greens, as he should, and especially enjoys feasting on endives, spinach and aquatic vegetation! A graceful swimmer, Kermit enjoys exploring his surroundings and hiding in the vegetation in his tank. |
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Digger, the Chinese soft-shelled turtle. Digger was rescued from Lower Pierce reservoir by a concerned member of the public who noticed him there, knowing that Chinese soft-shelled turtles do not belong in Singapore . He was most probably abandoned by a previous owner who got bored of their ‘pet', or perhaps found out it was illegal to keep this species in Singapore. Unfortunately Digger has some fungal growth on his shell, but the appropriate treatment and care at the AWRC means he is now recovering. Like all soft-shelled turtles, Digger loves to dig and bury himself in the sand, hence the name. Digger is very curious, but also does not like to be handled, a clear indication that wild animals belong in the wild and do not make good pets! |
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Princess Leila, the star tortoise. Princess Leila was the first ever wild animal to arrive at the AWRC, dumped in a bag by the front gate the day after the AWRC opened. In the past, she had probably been smuggled into Singapore to be sold as a pet. Sadly, Princess Leila has shell deformities, most likely as a result of poor nutrition and lack of space to exercise in her former life as a pet. As a result she can never go back to the wild. Princess Leila loves to bask in the sun on her pebble patch in the afternoons and enjoys devouring cactus, endives and hibiscus leaves! |
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If you would like to make a difference in the life of a rescued wild animal, and help ACRES end the illegal wildlife trade through the work of the AWRC, please consider making a donation today.
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