Ms Lim, 23, a senior wildlife coordinator at the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres), explained that the weeks-old baby civet had likely been separated from its mother while she foraged in the nearby fruit trees.
As it would not be able to survive on its own, it was taken to the Acres Wildlife Rescue Centre in Jalan Lekar for care.
After three days of trying, Acres successfully reunited the baby with its family.
Whenever possible, healthy native animals are released back into suitable habitats immediately, while injured animals receive treatment at the centre before being returned to the wild.
Earlier that morning, someone had called the Acres wildlife rescue hotline about the civet sighting.
ON STANDBY
Every day, a dedicated team drives across Singapore, responding to wildlife distress cases reported via the hotline, which operates from 7am to 1am.
Calls to the Acres hotline rose from 9,800 in the 2019 financial year to 15,203 in 2024, reflecting more human-wildlife interactions in Singapore and other factors.
The team of two – comprising staff and/or volunteers – deals with an average of 10 cases a day. The animals they rescue include mynahs, pigeons, pangolins, pythons, monitor lizards and civets.
Ms Lim usually manages the calls and messages while a teammate drives the van. The phone will ring incessantly.
On average, the team handles more than a thousand calls a month. In 2024, Acres attended to 4,177 cases out of the 15,203 calls it received. It rescued 3,537 animals.
Acres used to provide round-the-clock rescue services but stopped doing so in June 2024 owing to a lack of funds.
“Hello, Acres? There is a snake in the condominium lobby,” a caller reported on Feb 20.
“Can you take a video of it and send it to us so we can assess the situation?” Ms Lim asked.
She received a video that shows a paradise tree snake that had found its way into the enclosed lobby of a condo in central Singapore.
Not all calls require an on-site response, but because the snake was trapped in an enclosed space, Ms Lim and senior wildlife rescue officer Aaron Hyberger, 47, headed out.
When they arrived, the condo manager hurriedly ushered them inside.
Ms Lim carefully picked up the snake, which coiled around her hand. Just as she tried to place it in a container, the snake suddenly launched itself into the air, landing on her neck.
Unflinching, she gently removed the green and yellow snake from her neck and secured it in the container.
“There’s nothing to be afraid of,” she said reassuringly. Paradise tree snakes are mildly venomous but pose no real threat to humans, as they feed mainly on lizards and small birds.
She said: “I stayed calm because when you understand them well enough, you won’t have unnecessary fear. I think a lot of people don’t understand that, because they grew up in a very sanitised environment disconnected from nature.”
Nearby, the condo manager clutched long snake tongs meant for handling larger species. Fortunately, she had not used the tool, as its sharp ridges could have broken the snake’s ribs or caused lacerations.
“Any time you see wildlife and you’re unsure what to do, just check with us first,” Ms Lim advised. “Taking matters into your own hands could accidentally injure the animal, or you could get hurt in the process.”
The sociology graduate is no stranger to wildlife protection, having been a conservation ambassador at the Singapore Zoo when she was 15.
Her most challenging rescue involved a white-bellied sea eagle that was stuck six-storeys high in a tree, requiring additional manpower and an overnight effort to save it.
Sometimes, animals can be harmed when people take matters into their own hands – either out of ignorance or fear.
In early February, Acres rescued a Malayan water monitor lizard that had been cruelly tied to a tree with ropes.
It had to be cared for, for two days, to recover from its injuries.
“It’s really frustrating, because it’s not the first time this has happened,” Ms Lim lamented. “We are living in the 21st century, and we are supposed to be advanced in our thinking, but people are still tying up animals like they are living in the past.”
Fully recovered, the lizard was ready for release. Rescued animals are returned near the area they were found to ensure they remain in familiar surroundings.
On Feb 13, the reptile was transported in a cage measuring 99cm in height, 132cm in length and 78cm in width – the biggest carrier the team has – back to Pasir Panjang, near where it was found.
The release mission was handled by Ms Lim and Ms Alpana Ahuja, 62, who is one of 37 rescue volunteers who have undergone wildlife training.
At a suitable spot, Ms Lim opened the cage. The lizard did not bolt out as expected. Instead, it lingered inside, unmoving.
Everyone waited.
A look inside the cage revealed that the lizard had turned around and was facing inwards.
Using a stick, Ms Lim gently guided it out of the carrier.
Inch by inch, it slowly disappeared into a pond.
Rescuing and releasing animals back into the wild is always Acres’ goal.
But sometimes, death is inevitable.
While the team was on the road, a call came in from a group of secondary school students who had found a white-vented mynah that had fallen from a height in their school, likely from its nesting place under the roof tiles. The boys sounded uncertain and anxious.
“It doesn’t look well... It might die. Let us come and pick it up,” Ms Lim told them after assessing the bird over the phone.
At a taxi stand, four boys approached the van. One was cradling a box. Inside it was a bird lying on a piece of bread. It seemed that the boys had tried to feed it.
“Can you do anything to resuscitate the bird?” one of them asked hopefully.
INEVITABLE
Ms Lim gently picked up the bird and examined it. The boys watched intently, their eyes filled with anticipation.
“I’m sorry, guys, but it’s dead,” she said softly. She comforted the boys and acknowledged that they had tried their best.
The carcass will be gathered by a biohazardous waste collector.
As Singapore moves towards becoming a City in Nature, wildlife sightings within urban areas are expected to rise.
On its website, Acres outlines its advice on what people should do if they encounter wild animals in distress. The charity also welcomes volunteers with its wildlife rescue and animal care teams.
COEXIST IN HARMONY
“The fact is that wild animals occupied these nature spaces before we did. It’s as much their home as it is ours,” Ms Lim said.
“You don’t have to like them, but you should respect that they are living beings who share the same space as us – especially because it’s our developments that caused them to lose their homes in the first place. So, the least we can do is just try to coexist with them.”