Acres gets OK to use previously poisoned land, eyes bigger animal sanctuary
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SINGAPORE – For 15 years, the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) Wildlife Rescue Centre has been occupying only a quarter of the 2ha land assigned to it.
Around 2007, most of the land in Sungei Tengah was rendered unusable after it was contaminated by a contractor the society engaged to build an animal shelter.
“I saw it as land and opportunity lost – what we could have had that we didn’t have any more. What a waste,” said Acres’ co-chief executive Kalai Vanan Balakrishnan.
But on May 17, the authorities allowed the society, which was set up in 2001, to reclaim the 1.5ha of land after a groundwater test found it to be safe.
In response to The Straits Times’ queries, the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) said Acres’ environmental consultant has advised that the contamination in the unused plot has receded, and that the current land condition is suitable for the society’s proposed use.
“SLA has reviewed the findings and approved Acres’ request for the proposed use, subject to the implementation of measures recommended by the consultant to safeguard public health and safety,” the authority added.
Housing about 125 exotic animals on its current 0.5ha premises and nursing thousands of rescued wild animals over the years, Acres has always had to do more with less.
A ball python at Acres. The society houses about 125 exotic animals at its current 0.5ha premises and nurses thousands of rescued wild animals.
ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
In 2023, it rescued more than 3,200 animals, which included snakes, squirrels and civets. Native animals are released once they are treated, while exotic animals will be cared for.
With the freedom to expand now, Mr Kalai hopes to build a sanctuary while retaining pockets of trees and flora.
The return of the land and plans to enlarge the wildlife centre were announced at an Acres charity gala at Sands Expo and Convention Centre on May 18.
Speaking to ST on May 21, Mr Kalai said: “We have an opportunity to go back to what we were supposed to do originally, but at the same time I see it as an expansion.”
“Now with the foliage (that blossomed after the land was disused), I think it adds some character to the place and I want it to be like a rehab sanctuary for animals within a forest.”
Several enclosures and ponds are covered with overgrown foliage.
ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
‘Lost World’ next to current premises
Weeds, bushes, overgrown plants and trees line a narrow path that Acres’ staff and volunteers have to navigate to get to the disused enclosures outside its current 0.5ha space, which has an office, education centre, animal facilities and staff quarters.
They also have to climb over a fallen banana plant and an uprooted tree before reaching the enclosures, which are in disrepair.
Big enough for humans to walk into, the enclosures are still standing but have been shrouded with creepers, while a tree has broken through a roof.
A few cage doors are missing, possibly stolen over the years. Overgrown foliage carpets the floors of the cages.
With the green light from SLA, Mr Kalai plans to restore the site in stages, starting with about 0.75ha to make prudent use of Acres’ existing funds.
His foremost priority is to rehome pig-nosed turtles that now reside in individual tubs within a quarantine facility. Several turtles have lived there since 2009.
Due to their territorial nature, the turtles require plenty of space. Mr Kalai intends to rehome all 31 in three existing concrete ponds in the 0.75ha plot, which may need to be repaired. Taps and water pipes connected to the ponds have to be replaced as well.
Thirty-one pig-nosed turtles have been living in a quarantine facility since 2009. They are Acres’ first priority as it restores its site in stages.
ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
Clearing areas of overgrown vegetation as well as installing small enclosures for rescued animals and a cage where staff can test the flying abilities of rescued birds are next on his list.
Acres has more than 100 volunteers involved in various activities at the rescue centre. Mr Kalai plans to create rest areas for them by installing container buildings in the 0.75ha plot. These buildings may also be used for simple preparation of food for animals.
Hopes for large sanctuary reduced to rotten wasteland
In 2006, Acres hired ANA Contractor to level a plot of land about the size of two football fields in Jalan Lekar in Sungei Tengah to build an animal shelter. The contractor later filled the land with wood chips that rotted and contaminated the soil and discharged brackish water. The National Environment Agency declared it a pollution threat to the nearby Kranji Reservoir.
Acres took legal action in 2008, and was later awarded $26.5 million in damages. But ANA’s director was made bankrupt in 2012. He was jailed in 2015 for 14 months for scheming – he quietly liquidated his assets and gave his cash to friends and relatives – to avoid paying damages. Acres got nothing.
According to previous reports, the society paid SLA rent for the whole site until January 2010 when the fee was waived for the unused area.
Acres founder Louis Ng, who is an MP for Nee Soon GRC, previously told ST that four times as many wild creatures could have been saved between 2008 and 2013 had it not been for the land problems.
Mr Kalai said that up until 2018 or so, stormwater flowing from the contaminated land would be black, with a sulphuric stench in the air after rain.
Previously, he was told that the land could be used as long as concrete overlaid the earth, among other conditions. “But that defeated the purpose because my whole idea was to (house) the wild animals in a natural setting... Concretising everything would be very difficult. So we decided to wait it out,” he said.
Acres’ co-chief executive Kalai Vanan Balakrishnan hopes to create a rehabilitation sanctuary for rescued animals within a forest.
ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
Quest to reclaim abandoned land
After the Covid-19 pandemic, Acres’ interest in getting the land back rekindled and the society “aggressively pursued it”.
“The pandemic was really a strange time for us. I was expecting our call volume to go down but instead it went up. It was a difficult situation because we were trying to attend to more animals with less manpower,” Mr Kalai said.
Acres’ staff and volunteers were able to pull it off because of their hard work, he added. “During this time, we saw several breakthroughs in rehabilitation work. I also felt that this massive body of work we did really touched the hearts of the community.
“We dug deep during this period and it gave me aspirations towards what new things we can achieve. The increase in numbers (of animals needing help) showed that there is a need for our work, and while the quantity of animals rescued is important, the quality of their care is also crucial.”
The society’s expertise in rescuing and nursing animals, including juveniles, had deepened over the years, and coupled with the increase in wildlife rescues during the pandemic, Mr Kalai felt it was time to expand.
“Everything is very condensed here, and that is very dangerous in terms of disease outbreaks... And if we had made so much progress with so little, with additional land, we could do so much more,” he said.
In December 2023, Acres appointed specialists to test the groundwater. The results showed that there was a drop in the levels of certain elements in the contaminants.
Mr Kalai sent the results to SLA in March. On May 17, he received an e-mail that gave the okay to use the land, subject to a few conditions.
He will apply the lessons learnt from the past in developing the 0.75ha space. “I’m a very operations-focused person. If I were to get a contractor involved, I’ll definitely be on the ground more. But I have no plans to do any earthworks because of the (past) issues.”
Acres’ work is mostly funded through donations, which can be given at
