'Not just a city in nature': ACRES Wildlife Sanctuary opens, includes spaces for rehab and education“不仅仅是一座自然中的城市”：ACRES野生动物保护区开放，设有康复和教育空间
The Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) opened its wildlife sanctuary last Saturday (Oct 17) on Jalan Lekar in Sungei Tengah.The opening was part of its World Animal Day 2026 celebrations, and was attended by Minister of State for National Development Alvin Tan, marking a milestone in Acres' 25 years of wildlife rescue, rehabilitation and conservation.Alongside the sanctuary is...
The Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) opened its wildlife sanctuary last Saturday (Oct 17) on Jalan Lekar in Sungei Tengah.
The opening was part of its World Animal Day 2026 celebrations, and was attended by Minister of State for National Development Alvin Tan, marking a milestone in Acres' 25 years of wildlife rescue, rehabilitation and conservation.
Alongside the sanctuary is the newly revamped ACRES Education Centre, which presents enhanced spaces for Acres to educate the public on issues pertaining to wildlife and conservation.
Speaking at the event, MOS Tan explained that the sanctuary is a place for animals to live, rehabilitate and receive care while doing so.
Referring to his colleagues from NParks, MOS Tan said: "We work very closely with the animal welfare groups… to ensure that Singapore is not just a city nature, but also a place in which animals can thrive."
He also highlighted a rising trend of human-wildlife conflict and Acres' key role in educating the public on how to react when they encounter wildlife, citing incidents where Acres was involved in calls pertaining to pythons in his constituency, Tanjong Pagar GRC.
"I thank every single one of you… for putting your heart, mind and soul into this," MOS Tan said to ACRES. "Let's continue to support it."
'Devastating setback'
ACRES chief executive officer Kalai Vanan Balakrishnan also shared the history surrounding the wildlife sanctuary, and the trouble Acres had to go through to get to this point.
Founder Louis Ng had attempted to set up a similar 2 ha sanctuary for rescued animals, with facilities for staff and volunteers, as well as an education centre.
While he managed to raise funds to get the land required, things started going awry, Kalai Vanan said.
"There was a devastating setback. The contractors' actions contaminated the land.
"Although things might have appeared fine on the surface, the soil underground was polluted, and out of these two ha, only 0.5 ha remained usable to us," he recalled.
Although it pursued legal action and was awarded $26.5 million, the contractor was declared bankrupt and left for China, while his wife restarted another company in Singapore, he claimed.
"We recovered nothing," Kalai Vanan stated. "I remember we spent a few years trying to pursue justice, but we couldn't."
ACRES then moved forward from the setback, focusing on getting the land back into use with the limited resources it had.
Kalai Vanan also stressed the importance of the education centre, describing it as the "heartbeat of ACRES".
By providing visitors an understanding of the issues animals face, ACRES can "encourage people to think about their everyday choices" pertaining to animals, he stated.
The sanctuary and the education centre therefore work in tandem to provide better care for animals while helping more people understand how to prevent suffering in the first place, Kalai Vanan added.
"This year, we're already on track to have the most number of rescue calls ever, and the next phases of the wildlife sanctuary will need resources to make that a reality.
"We really need more people to stand with us… As we open these spaces today, we are fulfilling a promise that people have worked for years to keep - to give the animals who depend on us for better future."
khooyihang@asiaone.com
动物关注研究与教育协会（ACRES）于上周六（10 月 17 日）在双溪登加的 Jalan Lekar 开设了野生动物保护区。
此次开幕式是其 2026 年世界动物日庆祝活动的一部分，国家发展部政务部长陈志远出席了开幕式，标志着 Acres 在野生动物救援、康复和保护方面取得了 25 年的里程碑式成就。
与保护区相邻的是新近翻修的 ACRES 教育中心，该中心为 ACRES 提供了更完善的空间，以便向公众普及与野生动物和保护相关的问题。
在活动上，MOS Tan解释说，该保护区是动物生活、康复和接受护理的地方。
陈部长在谈到国家公园局的同事时说：“我们与动物福利团体密切合作……以确保新加坡不仅是一座自然之城，也是动物能够繁荣发展的地方。”
他还强调了人与野生动物冲突日益加剧的趋势，以及艾克斯在教育公众如何应对野生动物方面发挥的关键作用，并列举了艾克斯参与其选区丹戎巴葛集选区内与蟒蛇有关的报警事件。
“我感谢你们每一个人……感谢你们为此倾注的心血，”谭先生对ACRES说道。“让我们继续支持它。”
“毁灭性的挫折”
ACRES 首席执行官 Kalai Vanan Balakrishnan 还分享了野生动物保护区的历史，以及 Acres 为达到这一目标所经历的困难。
创始人 Louis Ng 曾尝试建立一个类似的 2 公顷的获救动物庇护所，配备工作人员和志愿者的设施以及教育中心。
卡莱·瓦南说，虽然他设法筹集到了所需的土地资金，但事情开始变得不顺利。
“这是一次毁灭性的挫折。承包商的行为污染了土地。”
“虽然表面上看起来一切正常，但地下的土壤已被污染，这两公顷土地中，只有 0.5 公顷可供我们使用，”他回忆道。
据他称，尽管他提起诉讼并获得了 2650 万美元的赔偿，但该承包商还是被宣布破产并前往中国，而他的妻子则在新加坡重新开办了另一家公司。
“我们一无所获，”卡莱·瓦南说道。“我记得我们花了几年时间试图伸张正义，但最终还是失败了。”
ACRES 从挫折中振作起来，利用有限的资源，专注于让土地重新投入使用。
Kalai Vanan 还强调了教育中心的重要性，称其为“ACRES 的心脏”。
他表示，通过让参观者了解动物面临的问题，ACRES 可以“鼓励人们思考他们日常生活中与动物相关的选择”。
卡莱·瓦南补充说，因此，动物保护区和教育中心协同运作，为动物提供更好的照顾，同时帮助更多的人了解如何从源头上防止动物遭受痛苦。
“今年，我们的救援电话数量已经创下历史新高，野生动物保护区的下一阶段需要资源才能实现这一目标。”
“我们真的需要更多的人与我们站在一起……今天，当我们开放这些空间时，我们正在履行人们多年来努力践行的承诺——为那些依赖我们的动物们创造更美好的未来。”
khooyihang@asiaone.com