Last week on the 6th of August I had my first ever volunteering session with ACRES wild life rescue center located at 91 Jalan Lekar ,Singapore 698917. I was ecstatic at the thought of working at the center and being near the wild animals. Having envisioned such an opportunity for so long the day had my hope soaring and I could not wait to arrive at the center.
With my shift being at 2pm , I start out early leaving at 12. I had no idea where Jalan Lekar and neither did anyone whom I asked around . Depending solely on my trusty GPS to not get me lost I eagerly set out with my phone in hand , back pack at ready , sporting old clothing I wouldn’t mind getting dirty and damaged. Leaving at such a time would prove to be a blessing later on as I navigate my way toward the center following the instruction my GPS was giving . Nearing the center I notice my surrounds changing . No longer was I surrounded by busy streets and a concrete jungle the scenery had slowly changed to a quiet road and wooden area. Lush forestry begun to surround me as I realize the only structures coming in sight now were farms and factories.
Soon it dawned on me that it was well past two with me being hopelessly lost . No signs could been seen and vast fields of farm factories and fishing farms surrounded me. Luckily a rare sight of a blue taxi turning from the street corner caught my eye. Dread was replaced by cheer as I flagged it down and sprouted out the center’s location . In less than a minute we were on the right track once again. On route the driver striked up a conversation with me , asking what I was doing around such secluded parts all alone. As we continue chatting I couldn’t help notice his apparent disapproval but we were now pulling in to the center and my thoughts were dominated by the activities to be done . I had finally arrived!
Having greeted the staff and gotten the introductions out of way , one member leads me to a locker to put my items in. He then lead me to the enclosures where I was then informed that I had arrived just in time to feed the snakes . Being a snake lover and having no qualms with that , I was excitedly lead to the cages where they acquainted me with the many species of snakes they had on site. Most being exotic species which had been illegally smuggled in and abandoned by owners , I learned they were not to be released and were to be cared for by the center. Many of them had health or mental problems , such as the fully grown albino Burmese python . She had been blinded in one eye and was found in horrid conditions according to my guide . No longer suited to the wild only death would await her should she ever be released again.
Another volunteer and I together took the snakes out of their glass tanks by hand, which we than transferred to their feeding boxes. Dead mice was then fed to them with a long silver reptile feeding tong which resembled a pair of large tweezers with a curve end . They were then left to finish their meal in peace. As we were carrying out the feeding the guides would inform us about the snakes in more detail . I must admit this was my favorite part of the day . It was exhilarating to be near these often misunderstood creatures and learning all sorts of new things about them. At the end of their feeding hour they were transferred back to their enclosures from their feeding boxes by us and left to their own devices.
Next we were ordered to clean out the feeding boxes with a hose , transfer 47 turtles in to their rain proof enclosure and maintain the drains. The day ended just like that with the hours flying by and I was dismissed .
Short as it was ,it was certainly a memorable experience and I look forward to my next session of volunteering with the center again. Sure I got pungent dead mouse juice all over me and had been covered by the grime but that’s to be expected isn’t it. This is not a suitable activity for the faint of heart nor is it for ones who dare not get dirty . Most of the time you are doing basically grunge work, cleaning dirty enclosures and getting wet with the animals’ grime or getting mud all over yourself and dealing with pungent smells. If you don’t mind the draw back however and have a passion for conservation , love for animals and wouldn’t mind devoting your time I highly recommend volunteering here at least once . Its most definitely a worth while experience , I assure you of that .
