In September last year, The Live Turtle and Tortoise Museum of Singapore made headlines about its struggle to find a new home before its previous one in the Chinese Garden undergoes massive redevelopment. Back then, owner Connie Tan explained that the authorities extended her lease and gave her museum till March 2018 to move out.
Unfortunately, we’re now in March, and Tan updated the museum’s Facebook page last night to thank followers for their support on crowdfunding page GoGetFunding to help with the turtles’ transition to their new home. She also revealed that she wrote a note on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s Facebook page — and it was there that her pleas for help to avoid eviction really resounded with animal lovers across the island and went viral.
Here’s the gist of the message:
- The museum, started by her and her late father — both of whom met PM Lee years back at an exhibition roadshow — is currently home to more than 40 species of live turtles and tortoises.
- It’s the only one of its kind in the world, and it’s actually recognized by the Guinness World Records.
- However, after about 16 years at the Chinese Gardens, it’s been told to vacate its premises by Mar. 31, 2018.
- Several options were considered for new homes, including ORTO, but nothing worked out.
- Agencies like NParks, Singapore Land Authority, Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore, and Urban Redevelopment Authority attempted to help, but their efforts were unsuccessful.
- Tan even shuttered her events management business of 60 years to make space at her office for the creatures.
- She’s currently trying to get a place in the Sungei Tengah area but implored PM Lee to allow the museum to stay at the Chinese Garden after renovations.
Following the long appeal, PM Lee personally responded with a short message, to which Tan thanked him for.
This afternoon, she followed up on the museum’s Facebook page with another explanation on how the unique attraction came to be.
It seems quite a few hearts were touched — a quick check on the GoGetFunding page showed multiple people donating to her cause today.
But as for the future of the museum, that remains to be seen. Keep tabs on its Facebook page for updates.
