With over 500 animals in its care, The Live Turtle and Tortoise Museum of Singapore is racing to look for a new home before its Chinese Garden premises undergoes an extensive redevelopment.
To date, its owner has yet to secure a new spot to rehome the hundreds of reptiles belonging to the world’s only turtle and tortoise private zoo, TODAY reported. The continued struggle to relocate has even prompted a petition to save the museum.
Sixteen years since it was established, the museum has to make way for a state-sanctioned makeover of the entire Jurong Lake District, which will supposedly be transformed into the second Central Business District. The Chinese Garden itself is set to be Singapore’s “new national gardens in the heartlands”, and will be progressively completed from 2020 onwards.
That’s good news for Jurong residents, but bad news for The Live Turtle and Tortoise Museum of Singapore owner Connie Tan and her animals. Enquiries made by TODAY revealed that the authorities expect the museum to move out by March next year. Tan’s lease actually ran till March last year, but it has already seen two extensions due to her difficulties in looking for a new site.
A statement made by the National Parks Board, the Singapore Land Authority and Urban Redevelopment Authority mentioned that they suggested the museum relocate to Kusu Island. But Tan turned it down as the southern island — which requires a 45-minute ferry ride to access — is too remote for visitors. Furthermore, the temperature, humidity and absence of healthy grass patches at the Kusu Island site is unsuitable for turtles and tortoises to lay eggs.
Meanwhile, other considered spots — including Kranji’s Farmart Centre and Yishun’s Orto — have their own complications, including costly rents and inadequate lease durations.
Indeed, it’ll be sad to see the museum shut down for good, especially considering it has held a Guinness World Record since 2005 for the largest collection of tortoise and turtle items. A major portion of its animals are rescued ones, including those who were seized from illegal trade by the Agri Food and Veterinary Authority. Others were sadly abandoned by members of the public who thought it was cool (it’s not) to leave their former pets at the museum’s doorstep.
The best hope Tan has right now is that the authorities will allow her museum and zoo to return to the Chinese Garden once the revamp is done.
