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Straits Times
6 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Now flying solo, Acres CEO Kalaivanan Balakrishnan presses ahead with wildlife rescue efforts
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Mr Kalaivanan Balakrishnan took over as the sole president of Acres in May 2025. SINGAPORE - After four years of running a wildlife rescue non-profit with a co-pilot, Mr Kalaivanan Balakrishnan is now flying solo – and taking the challenges that come with it in his stride. The 39-year-old – formerly one of two co-chief executives of the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) – intends to continue its mission of rescuing all needy wildlife, even those that may not be cute or cuddly. Ms Anbarasi Boopal, the other former Acres co-chief executive, stepped down from her role on April 30. She plans to work on policies on the welfare of farmed animals next. The pair had originally taken on the co-chief executive roles in 2021, when Acres founder Louis Ng relinquished the role to focus on politics. He served as a PAP MP for Nee Soon GRC for a decade, from 2015 to 2025. Ms Boopal oversaw Acres' advocacy arm, while Mr Kalaivanan managed the group's day-to-day operations, such as its efforts to rescue and rehabilitate injured wildlife. One of his most memorable rescues was in 2018, when he helped to save a dolphin tangled in a fishing line at Bedok Jetty. He has also been involved in rescues of more commonly seen wildlife, including Javan mynahs and kingfishers stuck in glue traps, and injured pigeons, macaques and otters. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore LTA, Singapore bus operators reviewing Malaysia's request to start services from JB at 4am Singapore Despite bag checks and warnings, young partygoers continue to vape in clubs in Singapore Singapore Ong Beng Seng to plead guilty on Aug 4, more than 2 years after trip to Qatar with Iswaran Singapore NDP 2025: Veteran Red Lion says each leap 'feels like 5km run' Business Decoupling to save on tax? 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This year's ball aims to raise $400,000, with those in the last few years raising around $100,000 to $300,000. Though galas in the past were usually held in the month of May to coincide with Acres' birthday, the 2025 gala was delayed due to the leadership transition. The funds raised will help to cover the operating costs of its rescue hotline and in-house veterinary facilities, and fund the expansion of its wildlife rescue centre . In 2024, owing to a lack of funds, Acres ceased the 24-hour operations of its wildlife rescue hotline. Its rescue services now run from only 7am to 1am daily. The organisation also lost several volunteers during the Covid-19 pandemic. 'We've been trying to attract more volunteers who can help us more consistently, but that has proven a challenge, because everybody's so busy with work in Singapore,' Mr Kalaivanan said. Working in wildlife rescue was not always in the cards for Mr Kalaivanan, who is an industrial designer by training. The wildlife aficionado first joined Acres in 2009 as a volunteer, before becoming a full-time staff member in 2011. Being able to apply his design skills to help animals – be it in creating roadshow banners or building enclosures – kept him going all these years, Mr Kalaivanan said. 'At NGOs (non-government organisations) like Acres, you often have to make do with less, to do more. That's something I find very addictive,' he said. Mr Kalaivanan helps to ensure that Acres' animal rescue, rehabilitation and repatriation efforts run smoothly. ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN One of his biggest milestones was leading the construction of Acres' first animal sanctuary in 2013. The sanctuary meant that animals saved from the illegal wildlife trade get the opportunity to bask outdoors. Prior to the construction of its outdoor sanctuary, many of Acres' rescued animals were kept in quarantine areas or indoor enclosures. Animals such as Indian star tortoises and ball pythons are often illegally brought into Singapore to be kept as pets. 'For the first time in many years, a lot of the tortoises, turtles, could be under sunlight, feel the rain,' he said. Having a sanctuary also opened up the opportunity for Acres to conduct private educational tours, further raising awareness about the plight of rescued animals, Mr Kalaivanan said. Moving forward, Mr Kalaivanan's vision is for Acres to expand its premises and the breadth of its work. Today, 129 animals – including various species of reptiles, birds and mammals – live on its 0.5ha premises, about the size of a football field. Some animals, like the 30 pig-nosed turtles under Acres' care, are highly territorial, and have to be housed in individual enclosures, leading to significant space constraints. 'If you have insufficient space, you can keep rescuing animals, but the quality of care is going to decrease for each animal,' Mr Kalaivanan said. As such, his top priority is to reclaim and develop the 1.5ha of previously poisoned land beside its existing premises, which the authorities greenlit in May 2024. Acres had originally been allocated 2ha of land in their current Sungei Tengah site, but contamination by a building contractor rendered much of it unsafe for use. A groundwater test in December 2023 found a fall in the level of contaminants. Prior to the construction of its outdoor sanctuary, many of Acres' rescued animals were kept in quarantine areas or indoor enclosures. ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN Acres hopes to approach the expansion with care, Mr Kalaivanan said, adding that a biodiversity survey had been done to identify flora and fauna potentially impacted by the expansion. Animals that used the space included birds such as the long-tailed parakeet and common emerald dove, as well as other animals such as the plantain squirrel, reticulated python and Indochinese rat snake. 'We will keep pockets of small greenery so that wild animals like birds, snakes and turtles can continue to be there,' he said. Acres will also continue its advocacy efforts to urge people to better co-exist with wildlife in Singapore, he said. 'If we can get people to co-exist more with nature, then we have to rescue less animals and can save resources.' Mr Kalaivanan also hopes for Acres to strengthen its focus on cruelty-free living. This would mean enhancing educational initiatives on veganism, and greater outreach on the origins of leather and other animal products, he said. 'My goal is to ensure that when people see Acres, they don't recognise us just for animal rescue and rehabilitation. Instead, I want them to think of animal welfare at large.'
Straits Times
17-05-2025
- General
- Straits Times
S'pore's ‘powerhouse' in wildlife rescue Anbarasi Boopal steps down from Acres
Ms Anbarasi Boopal officially stepped down as co-chief executive of Acres, a wildlife rescue group on April 30. ST PHOTO: TARYN NG SINGAPORE - After close to two decades of advocating for wildlife and caring for them at Acres , Ms Anbarasi Boopal has packed up her bags to take a break. The 42-year-old officially stepped down as co-chief executive of Acres, a wildlife rescue group on April 30 . She hopes to take some time off in the next few months, but told The Straits Times she next hopes to work on policies on welfare of farmed animals. 'Nature makes me feel at peace, so the peace is lost when I see nature suffering,' she said in an interview on April 21 at Acres Wildlife Rescue Centre in Sungei Tengah. 'When I see animals suffering, I find it very unfair.' Ms Boopal is known among the nature community for her passion for animals and her deep conviction in advocating for their rights, giving talks on human-wildlife coexistence, and taking part in biodiversity events. No animal is too small or unimportant, and she has spoken up for all sorts of creatures, from well-loved pangolins, to the pythons and pigeons that many people complain about. She has also contributed to efforts to tackle the illegal wildlife trade in Singapore. For example, she oversaw the repatriation of 51 illegally trafficked Indian star tortoises back to India in 2018. The tortoises, coveted for their star-patterned shells, were rescued from a variety of places in Singapore such as homes and even the briefcases of smugglers. She also helped to expose the trade in alleged tiger parts being illegally sold in jewellery shops here in 2010. Her journey with Acres started in 2005, when she was still a graduate student pursuing a master of science in environmental management from NUS. Ms Boopal - more affectionately known as Anbu - had found an Indian star tortoise that was being kept illegally in a backyard, and informed Acres about it. She had assumed that Acres, which was formed in 2001 , had a rescue centre where the tortoise could be kept under the right conditions. The humid environment in Singapore was not conducive for an animal usually found in drier conditions, she said. But when Mr Louis Ng, the Acres founder, came to pick up the tortoise the next day, Ms Boopal said she was shocked to find out that there was no rescue centre in Singapore. Soon after, she began volunteering at Acres. Acres Co-CEO Anbarasi Boopal is known among the nature community for her passion for animals and her deep conviction in advocating for their rights. ST PHOTO: TARYN NG Her initial plan was to complete the graduate studies before returning to India where she hoped to join a government agency to work on policies related to wildlife. But the plan changed after she decided to join Acres full-time in 2007 as 'the calling was very strong' to help animals despite a 'huge' pay cut. She was part of the team that built Singapore's first wildlife rescue centre in Sungei Tengah. The Acres Wildlife Rescue Centre was officially opened in 2009 and serves as a safe haven for injured and illegally traded animals. During her time in Acres, Ms Boopal said one of her notable achievements was uncovering alleged tiger parts being illegally sold in jewellery shops and antique shops here. 'It was by chance that I found out that a jewellery shop in Little India was selling tiger parts,' she said, adding that sellers told her that tiger teeth and claws were believed to bring about protection. Acres' undercover operation in 2010 eventually led the authorities then to investigate. They ended up seizing a total of 320 pieces of alleged tiger parts from 30 shops. But to combat illegal wildlife trade, education is key, said Ms Boopal, adding that was a key part of Acres' work. Such efforts are not glamorous, but are the backbone of advocacy, she added. 'It's not like rescuing a snake and releasing it which is seen as a heroic act. It's very instantly rewarding. But education, we don't see the impact immediately and we probably have to wait for a generation to see the trend. It's very difficult to quantify impact as well,' she said. Instead of keeping illegal wildlife as pets, Ms Boopal said animal lovers should consider sponsoring an animal's care in a sanctuary or support conservation efforts where they are preserving habitat and the animals together instead. In 2021, she was promoted from Acres deputy chief executive to co-chief executive with Mr Kalaivanan Balakrishnan. As a leader of the charity, one obstacle she had to overcome was raising funds. 'If you give me a room full of 1000 animals, I can give them the best outcome. But if you ask me to raise $1.7 million a year, that was something I had to learn,' she said. But she said she enjoys working with people by nature and took time to build relationships with others, eventually reaching her targets with her team . Over the years, Ms Boopal said she has observed changes in Singaporeans' attitude toward wildlife – with society becoming kinder and more compassionate. Instead of receiving calls just to remove an animal from a location, Ms Boopal said the calls Acres receives are mostly calls for help on how to help or deal with the animal. 'People generally care… They take time on top of their daily life to pick up the phone and call to say that they found this injured animal and asked if we can help.' Acres Co-CEO Anbarasi Boopal at Acres Wildlife Rescue Centre, next to the enclosure of a common snapping turtle on April 21. ST PHOTO: TARYN NG But there is always room for improvement, she said, pointing to the importance of ending culling as a wildlife management strategy – especially for birds like pigeons and crows. Ms Boopal, who has been a vegetarian since young, also hopes that Singaporeans can be more compassionate to animals through their lifestyle such as eating less meat or using animal cruelty-free products. 'There are so many ways to help animals directly, but not eating them is the most straightforward way. You basically save lives, right?' Her advocacy efforts even led to a restaurant naming a dish after her. On the menu at Georges, a restaurant located a three-minute drive away from Acres, is a dish called Anbu's Broccoli Crisps. This, said the menu, is a 'lightly sea salted karaage broccoli inspired by one of 'our local heroic advocates for animal welfare''. 'That's my lifetime achievement,' Ms Boopal quipped. Mr Kalaivanan, who is now the Acres chief executive, said that Ms Boopal and he had together pushed the boundaries of what they believed was possible in both advocacy and rescue work. 'Life in an non-governmental organisation is never easy, but we stood strong through countless challenges, including the pandemic,' he said. 'Her gentle and kind nature was unmistakable, yet beneath that calm exterior lay a fierce passion that drove her unwavering commitment to animal advocacy,' he said, adding that she will continue to be a powerful voice for animals wherever she goes. Mr N. Sivasothi, a senior lecturer at NUS who has worked with Ms Boopal for 20 years , said she has been a 'powerhouse' in the nature and animal welfare community in Singapore. The pair had worked together on various initiatives convened by the nature community, such as on the working groups for marine turtles, long-tailed macaques and wildlife roadkill, as well as the Our Wild Neighbours initiative which advocates for human-wildlife coexistence. 'While Anbu contributes tirelessly on the ground, she has also provided thought leadership throughout this time, and advanced the thinking of our community… She represents an icon to aspire to and to empower others, and is certainly an extraordinary individual we are proud to be able to call our own,' he added. Nature Society (Singapore) conservation committee chair Leong Kwok Peng, who has known Ms Boopal for about two decades, said she provided insightful information and recommendations, especially about human-wildlife conflict, during Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) engagements Not only has she been approachable, Ms Boopal also readily shared information, such as wildlife roadkill data, with the society. Mr Kannan Raja, president of the Herpetological Society of Singapore, said Ms Boopal's advocacy for human-wildlife co-existence was consistent and courageous. 'Anbu's voice was usually among the first and firmest when speaking against cruelty,' he said. Citing an example of she was among the first to call out an incident of a reticulated python being burnt alive in November 2024, Mr Kannan said her response framed the issue such that it rallied public attention and compassion without resorting to outrage or name-calling. 'Anbu's tireless work has significantly improved Singapore's wildlife landscape,' he said. 'While her departure from Acres marks the end of a chapter, her influence will continue to shape the conservation space here for years to come.' Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
