PUBLISHED ONOctober 21, 2026 1:00 AMBYKhoo Yi-HangThe 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."
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."
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