Getting to Know ACRES

By Tess, age 7

Louis Ng is better known among Singaporeans (especially those in the Nee Soon East ward of Nee Soon GRC) for his advocacy for the man on the street. A lesser population perhaps, knows or remembers that Member of Parliament Louis Ng is the founder of ACRES (Animal Concerns Research and Education Society), an animal protection charity. This interview is done by Tess, a 7-year-old Singaporean-American.

Tess: How did ACRES come about?

MP: It goes back to 1999, when I was a volunteer zookeeper and also helping out at chimpanzee photography sessions. That is where I met Ramba, a chimpanzee.

She was a fun-loving little ape who was about a year old then. She loved being tickled and sometimes would grab my finger to tickle herself and then chuckle.

One day, during one of these photography sessions, Ramba misbehaved and the keeper punched her in the face. Ramba came over to hug me and pulled her lip down to have me check whether it was bleeding. That was when it struck me: I needed to speak up for her and other such animals.

The media ran the story of this unfortunate incident and what had happened to Ramba. Before long, she was reunited with her mother. The zoo invited me to witness the reunion of her and her mum. They had been kept apart in the zoo for about two years. It was a joy to watch them together, affectionately grooming each other and picking dirt out from each other’s fur.

Looking back at the many photography sessions with Ramba, I recall only one zoo patron inquired about her mother. It was clear many people knew little about these animals behind the scenes.

Tess: You stepped down as CEO of ACRES to focus on your duties as MP, but looking back, what would you cite as some of the major achievements of ACRES?

MP: You may have noticed the logo of ACRES. It is that of a blue monkey. Let me tell you the story of Blue, the monkey.

When I found Blue, he was being kept as a pet in a tiny cage. Blue was smuggled into Singapore from Africa by ship. Can you imagine being in a cage with no friends to play with?

After I rescued Blue in 2003, there was no rescue center in Singapore to keep him or other such animals. The zoo did not want him and, had I turned him in to the government then, they would have just put him to sleep. So, I took him home. Can you imagine how shocked my mum was when I brought home a monkey?

That was the genesis of the idea for the ACRES Wildlife Rescue Centre. With funds raised from the Singapore public, I was able to set up the center and also fly Blue back to his home in Zambia.

We humans do wrong things sometimes. But often, we have a chance to right the wrong and that is what happened with Blue. We managed to give him back the second half of his life.

Tess: On my first visit to ACRES, I saw the live rescue of a python that was found on the property! What happens to such animals?

MP: Native wild animals will be released right away into the wild after a health check. Animals that are injured are treated and released when their condition has stabilized.

Tess: Singapore is so urbanized. How can we strike a balance between the welfare of humans and that of animals?

MP: It is important to build awareness and to educate people on how to behave when they encounter animals.

For example, we tell people not to stare at monkeys because they sometimes read it as a challenge to fight. Also, when a monkey shows its teeth, it is not simply yawning. We need to understand animal behavior and especially, know how to de-escalate a confrontation.

We also educate the public on not feeding wild animals as this will get them used to human food and make them turn aggressive when they do not get fed. It is difficult to convince humans that we are the ones at fault.

Here in Singapore, animals like macaques don’t live deep in the forests, but instead on the fringe of the forests. That is where we build our houses. In other words, we have moved into their homes. Many people suggest that we create buffer zones so that we can co-exist with the animals.

We have learned that many animals are averse to crossing the roads. So, we have helped by building bridges between the rainforests so that they feel comfortable crossing. This is important when it comes to reproduction and the gene pool, in particular. We do not want any species to die out from lack of mating opportunities.

Tess: I live near Orchard Road where there are many Javan Mynas at night. How do we manage their population?

MP: Again, it goes back to not feeding them. In the city of Basel, they discovered that the more they tried to kill the birds, the more they would reproduce due to their survival instinct. From that, we learned that having a no-feeding policy is more effective than killing them.

Tess: I have seen those “do not feed the birds” signs!

MP: Yes, I have proposed amendments to our laws to make the feeding of wild animals illegal throughout Singapore. When animals are fed processed human food that is high in sugar, they get addicted to it, just like we do.

Tess: Many people are not clear what they should do when they see an injured animal. So, what should they do?

MP: They could call the 24-hr ACRES Hotline at 9783 7782. And if you have hit an animal, you should stop and provide aid. There is a Road Safety Act which covers this. Drivers who hit animals are required to stop and help them as long as it is safe to do so.

Tess: Why do we have horse racing in Singapore if it is a form of animal abuse?

MP: Indeed, this is quite sad, because when these racing horses are injured, they sometimes end up being killed. There is a group called EQUAL who rescue horses and use them in therapy programs for children with special needs. EQUAL brings horse-assisted therapy to youths at risk, families, and the elderly in the community.

Tess: What improvements in animal shows have you seen in Wildlife Reserves Singapore since the establishment of ACRES?

MP: One big change is this that we have stopped photography sessions with orangutans where zoo patrons are allowed to touch them; however, they can have them in the background while they dine.

We have also put a stop to circus-type animal performances that involve the animals in unnatural acts. For example, getting an orangutan to balance a ball is not natural, but having a lemur balance using its tail is something it already knows how to do.

The zoo has also stopped elephant rides. Trainers used to control the huge mammals by using an ankus to poke sensitive parts of their body. This is no longer done here.

Tess: Why have we not banned shark’s fin?

MP: We seek to follow international conventions, so in Singapore, we do not allow the trading of parts of certain shark species. Most hotels have also ceased serving shark’s fins.

Tess: At school in first grade, my teacher showed a program which explained why sharks are important in the ocean. If there are no sharks, the bigger fishes will end up eating all the small fishes because there are no sharks to control the population of the bigger fishes. This will create an imbalance in the eco-system.

MP: That’s right. They are keystone species and without them, the ecosystem will collapse.

Tess: When will ACRES introduce volunteer programs for children my age?

MP: ACRES has an age limit for volunteers because the animals can be dangerous for young ones to handle. For example, a python is possibly longer than you. We also have dangerous animals like the snapping turtle, whose bite is more dangerous than that of a lion. Your finger will disappear if it gets bitten by a snapping turtle.

However, there are educational outreach programs that you can assist with that will help in increasing public awareness about animal welfare and safety. As a matter of fact, we run an adoption drive once a month in our constituency.

Tess: Can young people my age participate?

MP: Of course!