While the majority of people in Singapore seclude themselves at home during this Circuit Breaker period, the staff at the non-profit wildlife rescue group, Acres, remain alert and ready to head out at a moment's notice.

Acres runs the only 24/7 wildlife rescue hotline in Singapore and anyone who spots a wild animal in need of help can drop a call.

This king cobra which has accidentally wandered off into the residential estate recently is one good example:

However, like many non-profit groups, Acres has had to scale back its operations as a result of Covid-19 with almost no public visitation and volunteer engagement during this period.

As such, not only do they have to work with a scarcity of manpower, but a depleting supply of funds as well, which could spell trouble for the rescued animals which call Acres their home as well as the daily rescue efforts.

Operating with scarce manpower

Manpower crunch has always been a problem for Acres even before the pandemic, Acres deputy chief executive officer Kalai Vanan told Mothership.

But this issue has been "amplified" during Circuit Breaker, Kalai added.

Currently, only around 12 to 15 staff and volunteers, including their veterinarian and six rescue officers, man the 24/7 hotline and conduct rescues.

While volunteers are allowed to help at Acres which is considered as an essential service, the non-profit group has refrained from calling upon the majority of their volunteers for safety reasons.

Acres has also implemented safe distancing measures which further reduced the manpower available.

Staff and volunteers work in shifts as much as possible, and work at their headquarters is segregated as well so only one person is responsible for managing the animals in one area.

Aside from these, all rescue officers don masks while working and the rescue vehicle is cleaned and disinfected after every trip.

And heading out at a moment's notice to attend to a call is no mean feat either.

Currently, rescue officers have to be on standby around the clock, and occasionally, shifts may even stretch from 9:30am to 5pm the next day.

At night, two rescue officers remain on standby to ensure calls are attended to as well.

Caring for over 150 resident animals

Acres' rescue efforts are carried out on top of caring for the over 150 creatures of all shapes and sizes residing at their headquarters at Jalan Lekar, Lim Chu Kang.

These furry and scaly residents have mainly been rescued from the illegal wildlife trade.

The rare tortoises, pythons, and iguanas, for example, need to be fed and have their enclosures cleaned daily.

Health checks are also conducted every day to ensure the creatures are well.

Around 30 of the residents are wild birds undergoing rehabilitation which require "constant monitoring" as well.

Prioritising rescue cases during this period

The 24/7 Acres hotline receives around 1,200 calls a month—in March 2020, they averaged around 43 cases a day—a number near impossible for a team of 15 to handle.

To work around their dearth of manpower and tightened schedule, Acres has been prioritising the cases their rescue officers respond to.

Many calls from members of the public involve stranded baby birds, and unlike what some might believe, these birds are not in imminent danger and do not necessarily need Acres' help.

In these cases, Acres advises the public on what to do, and oftentimes, the chicks will eventually reunite with its parents.

Acres shared in a Facebook post that they have streamlined their efforts to large reptiles that are injured or need to be relocated; injured, poisoned or trapped birds which require on-site rescue operations; and injured large mammals like wild boars.

More calls about bats since start of outbreak

While the number of calls received has remained largely the same before and after onset of Covid-19, Acres has received an increased number of calls regarding bats, Kalai noted.

Bats were previously speculated by experts and the public alike to be the original host of the coronavirus, sparking the massive outbreak centered around the Wuhan Seafood Market.

This speculation was fuelled by viral videos circulating on social media of the Chinese allegedly drinking bat soup.

A team of researchers from Singapore's Duke-NUS Medical School also explained in a study why bats are such good hosts for a range of viruses compared to other animals.

However, the theory that bats are the original hosts for Covid-19 has never been confirmed.

It seems though, that the uncertainty and wariness the winged creatures incite has spread to some people in Singapore as well, considering Kalai's observations.

He shared that especially at the start of the outbreak in Singapore, more people called to report bat sightings.

In these cases though, Kalai said that rescue officers typically reassure members of the public of the importance of bats to the ecosystem.

"A lot of people also tend to believe that there are blood sucking vampire bats in Singapore. But in actual fact, we only have fruit eating bats and bats that eat insects...like mosquitoes, which is a wonderful thing."

The pandemic that has broken out is also due to overcrowded conditions and human activities that have neglected animal welfare. As Kalai said:

"I think it has been a long-known fact that some animals are carriers of viruses with some as a result of human intervention. Time and again, such disease outbreaks and pathogen spill overs between species often occured due to human intervention, overcrowding conditions and disturbance to their wild population due to human activities. We believe it's crucial for governments to act on wildlife trade and ban all consumption and sale of wildlife for food. Over 200 organisations around the world have also appealed for the same, to the WHO."

Lack of funding a "key challenge"

The islandwide Circuit Breaker undoubtedly entails a host of challenges but none is more pertinent for this non-profit than the issue of finances.

When asked how operations have been affected so far, Kalai shared that the lack of funding is a "key challenge" in the coming months.

The annual fundraising gala that Acres holds had to be cancelled due to the government's restrictions on public gatherings since the start of the Covid-19 outbreak.

The gala was originally planned to be held in July, with tickets for each seat selling at S$198. Fundraising auctions are usually organised as part of the event, and all proceeds go to the organisation's animal protection programmes and the care of their resident animals.

Around S$150,000 is typically raised from the event.

But Acres will now have to subsist on whatever funding they have remaining.

"It has a been struggle and will continue to be"

The non-profit has received some support from the government—including a waiver on rental for the plot of land in Lim Chu Kang their headquarters sits on and a waiver on the levy for their foreign workers.

Despite this, Kalai candidly shared that Acres will at most be only able to sustain operations for another four to five months if they do not receive any additional funds.

What happens in the event that funds are depleted is not something Acres can afford, Kalai said. "The animals are our responsibility", which is why they have been striving to be as sustainable as possible.

"It has been a struggle and will continue to be," he admitted.

However, the work Acres does as the only organisation in Singapore that provides aid to all wild animals pushes him forward, and after all, "struggles are something that we are used to adapting to and evolving through."

At this point in time, donations mean the most to and are the most effective way to support the non-profit.

Those willing to help out can do so via this link. Donations of fuel vouchers will also help with rescue efforts.

Said Kalai:

"For us, we aren't here to make profits, we are here to help these animals and the community and with that, we will continue to strive towards that."

Top photo courtesy of Acres