ACRES

Work took me up northwest to ACRES Wildlife Rescue Center. It was a lovely morning. Hot, humid and full of mosquitoes. I happily survived. I had a photographer along on this jaunt. He had like...10 bites, even with mozzie repellent. I didn't put any repellent, and had...ZERO bites. Muahahahaha. Mozzies never had a thing for me, unless I'm the only human in the room.

We were kindly given a tour of the premises. It felt like a mini-zoo, and I don't mean that in a good way. As in- it shouldn't have had to house all these iguana and lizards and exotic pythons, star tortoises and alligator snapping turtles. If they can't be sent back to the country of origin for whatever reasons, then they have to stay on the premises, and that would be a strain on the resources. I wish ACRES wouldn't have had to rescue much wildlife because this means illegal trade, keeping of illegal pets and animal abuse are rife and rampant. Instead of diminishing, the trend is on an upswing. What does this say about an affluent and educated society? What's with all the smuggling coming through our doors?

Keeping ACRES operationally sustainable is a tremendous effort. Their committed small team works super hard (in a non-air-conditioned office space), buoyed by a pool of dedicated volunteers. I like animals, I believe in their rights, but I don't have this passion to fight for them the way ACRES do. I'm as guilty as my neighbors on this idea of 'out of sight, out of mind'. I don't exactly see wildlife on a daily basis. Tiny lizards, birds and monkeys don't count okay. I do the only thing I can, keep a lookout for their rights within my personal sphere, and donate to ACRES' cause. There're many many causes to donate to. We have our pet causes. (Pun intended.) But we can afford to spread the dough around. We can all do our little part. Every dollar counts.

Our high-density urban environment has alienated us to seeing animals in their natural habitats. Zoos and aquariums count, I suppose, but I have reservations about them. It doesn't mean animals won't slip through the cracks and forlornly exist in our rather limited primary forested areas. ACRES Flag Day is coming up on May 17. For local residents, donations to IPC-registered ACRES are tax-deductable. ACRES 14th Anniversary Gala Dinner on May 23 is also a fund-raiser. (Vegetarian menu only.) For those of us who feel it, we don't have to buy them S$2500 tables or S$280 seats and grit our teeth through the schmoozing at the event. We could remain our anti-social selves and simply put in the same amount to ACRES any time of the year. OH. If you'd like to give me a Christmas present this year, make a donation to ACRES, in your own name lah, then tell me. That's one of the best presents I can hope to have.

A very curious alligator snapping turtle lifted its head out of the water to stare at us.
What a beautiful tail it had. We grinned right back.
No touching; fingers might be...snapped off.