Pregnant tree shrew stuck in hole in wall in S'pore gives birth right after ACRES rescue

A tree shrew was rescued by the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) after getting trapped in a retaining wall weep hole at a residential property in Singapore on Jun. 3.

The animal later gave birth while under ACRES care.

The incident came to light after homeowner Ng Suan Eng shared her experience in the Singapore Wildlife Sightings Facebook group.

What happened

Speaking to Mothership, Ng said she first noticed an unfamiliar animal darting from her garden to her backyard earlier that morning.

"I had never seen such an animal in my garden before, though squirrels and birds are commonly sighted here," she said. "I thought it looked something like a shrew, but thought nothing of it."

Later that afternoon, Ng’s domestic helper alerted her that the animal appeared to be stuck in a retaining wall weep hole in the backyard and was motionless.

"I rushed over, and indeed the poor animal looked half-dead or completely exhausted," she said.

After taking a photograph, Ng identified the animal as a tree shrew.

She later offered it water, which it drank as it gradually regained consciousness.

ACRES notified

Unsure how to help without injuring the animal, Ng decided to seek professional assistance.

She said she contacted ACRES after obtaining the organisation's hotline number, and was later asked to send photographs and videos of the trapped animal via WhatsApp.

While waiting for help to arrive, another tree shrew appeared in the backyard.

"It was darting here and there, apparently very desperate for its fellow mate," Ng recalled.

Her domestic helper also reported hearing the calls of several tree shrews nearby.

Based on their observations, Ng believed the animal may have been trapped since the morning and had struggled for hours to free itself.

Oil applied on tree shrew's body

An ACRES rescue team arrived about half an hour after being contacted.

According to Ng, the rescuers carefully covered the animal's head with a cloth while applying cooking oil to its body to ease it out of the narrow opening.

"They were very patient and gentle," she said, adding that the team eventually freed the animal and wrapped it in a cloth for assessment.

While being cleaned, the tree shrew briefly attempted to run, which Ng described as a positive sign of recovery.

The animal was then placed in a cage and taken to ACRES’ Wildlife Rescue Centre.

Gave birth after being rescued

In response to Mothership's queries, ACRES confirmed it had received a call about a rodent-like animal trapped inside a subsoil pipe within a wall, which the team subsequently identified as a tree shrew.

Tree shrews are squirrel-like mammals commonly found across the island, and typically feed on fruits, insects and other small animals.

Upon arrival, rescuers Jeba and Aisyah found the animal wedged inside the narrow pipe.

After unsuccessful attempts to gently coax it free, the team applied oil as a lubricant and managed to remove the tree shrew without injury.

The animal was then brought to ACRES' Wildlife Rescue Centre for assessment, where it surprisingly gave birth shortly after arriving.

ACRES said this suggests the tree shrew may have been searching for a safe place to deliver her young when she became trapped.

Both mother and baby are currently under observation and receiving care, and will be released back into the wild once they are ready.

ACRES also thanked the resident for keeping watch over the animal and awaiting the rescue team’s arrival.

The organisation said it is on track to surpass last year’s number of wildlife rescue cases and reminded the public to contact its Wildlife Rescue Hotline at 9783 7782 if they encounter animals in distress.

Members of the public can also make a donation at this website.