ACRES (N1 & N2)
15 May

Ms. Edwina happily welcomed the children to ACRES (Animal Concerns Research and Education Society).

Ms. Edwina explained to the children about various types of Tortoises and Turtles namely the Amazon Yellow Spotted Turtle, African Spurred Tortoise, Radiated Tortoise, Hermann's Tortoise and the Star Tortoise which are on their way back to India. The children were then taken on a tour to see the tortoises present at ACRES.

The yellow spotted turtle.

Curiously looking at the Amazon Yellow Spotted Turtle.

Looking with awe at the yellow spotted turtle.

Mrs Jo explaining about the tortoise.

Discussing the tortoises.

Happy to see the different tortoises around her.

Trying to get the attention of the African Spurred Tortoise.

Trying to locate the 2nd African Spurred Tortoise.

Looking at the Radiated Tortoise.

Mrs. Jo pointing out the tortoise.

Some are trying to find the Radiated Tortoise whilst others have already found it.

Looking at the Hermann Tortoise.

Ms. Edwina explained to the children that this is the "bedroom" where the Star Tortoises are kept at night so that the owls do not eat them. They are waiting to go back to India, their original habitat.

The children learnt the reality of animals being victims. They heard the story of 22 endangered star tortoises which were brought in illegally into Singapore.

Different ways of how animals are brought in illegally from other countries.

Ms. Edwina shared the story of Boltz, the Asian Giant Pond turtle, which was rescued when it was run over by a lorry.

Ms. Edwina explained to the children how important it is to think before buying pets and once bought, it could be dangerous to release them.

Ms Edwina was talking to the children about how the Sunda Pangolins rests…

…wakes up.

.....carefully goes to search for its food, the ants. It uses its claws to open up the ants' nest and eats the ants.

Ms. Edwina explained to the kids about how the Colugo spreads its wings, glides and comes to rest. The children were thrilled to follow Ms. Edwina in doing the action of a Colugo.

The next animal that Ms. Edwina introduced to the children was the Common Fruit Bat. She explained how the animal relies on strong smell produced by plants to enable it to find its food.

The children were given an opportunity to smell coffee powder, cinnamon sticks, pounded ginger and vinegar to help them understand how the Common Fruit Bat searches for its food.

The children were taught the difference between a Microbat and a Megabat.

Two children were picked to role-play as rescue officers, since they had correctly answered the trivia asked. Using a toy python, a grabber and a small sack, the children were taught how rescuers would handle the situation when faced with such a challenge.

Ms. Edwina explained to the children that it was not the right way nor the safe way to hold a snake with bare hands.

She further explained to them that the snake should be held at its head with the help of a grabber.

The children were thrilled to see their friends enacting the task.

Ms. Edwina next explained that once the head was securely held by the grabber, another rescue officer had to put the snake's mouth into a plastic bag…

.....the snake then would then need to be pushed in completely in the bag and the bag tied tightly.

The bag then needs to be put in the box which the rescue officers will take back with them.

Ms. Edwina showed the children a video of the rescue of a snake whose head was caught in a can. She explained to the children that we should avoid throwing rubbish around as the animals can get trapped in it and injure themselves.

Ms. Edwina shared with the children the general instructions on steps to follow when one encounters a snake.

The children were introduced to four birds commonly found in Singapore - Oriental-pied hornbill, Asian koel, Black-naped oriole and White-collared Kingfisher. She played the sounds of the 4 birds so that the children can recognize them when they hear it elsewhere.

The children were fairly surprised to know that a turtle cannot distinguish between a plastic bag in water and a jellyfish.

Ms. Edwina explained this to the children by showing them a bottle of water which had a plastic bag in it and which resembles a jellyfish.

The box was passed around to the children so that each of them could see and understand.

The session ended with the children enjoying the chicken dance along with Ms. Edwina and TLH teachers present.