ACRES frees stressed but uninjured pangolin from washing machine as sightings rise near nature reserves.

A critically endangered Sunda pangolin was rescued unharmed after squeezing into a washing machine in a Bukit Batok home, highlighting both the species’ elusive habits and the growing risks it faces in urban Singapore.

“Unusual Animal” Call And Delicate Rescue
On the morning of May 25, ACRES received a call from a Bukit Batok resident about “an unusual animal” that had crawled into a washing machine from below. Wildlife rescue officers immediately advised the caller not to switch on the appliance. It took the team about 20–40 minutes to coax and free the pangolin, which instinctively gripped surfaces tightly. However, ACRES chief executive Kalaivanan Balakrishnan said the animal was uninjured, though clearly stressed.

First Pangolin Pulled From A Washer
ACRES, a 25-year-old wildlife charity, has rescued animals from washing machines before, but this was its first rescue of a Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica) from such a device. Mr Kalai noted that pangolins, like monitor lizards, snakes, and civets, often squeeze into tiny gaps and crevices to hide or escape danger, which can lead them into homes and appliances in areas bordering green spaces.

Likely Forest Origin And Discreet Release
The Sunda pangolin is the only pangolin species native to Singapore and primarily inhabits forested areas. Mr Kalai said the individual likely came from an adjacent nature reserve but declined to disclose precise release details or the location to protect its safety. As a critically endangered species, specific information about its whereabouts could attract unwanted attention from poachers or overly curious members of the public.

Conservation Context And Urban Threats
The Singapore Pangolin Working Group, formed in 2014, coordinates conservation efforts and tracks sightings of Sunda pangolins, which are primarily threatened by vehicle collisions and habitat loss caused by development. A 2024 study by Nature Society Singapore found an upward trend in pangolins venturing out of forests between 1996 and 2021, with most dead or injured animals recorded in central and western Singapore near nature reserves and water catchment areas — including locations similar to where this latest rescue occurred.

Trafficking Pressure And Major Scale Seizure
Globally, pangolins are believed to be the world’s most trafficked wild mammals, targeted for their scales and meat. In Singapore, two men were caught in 2023 attempting to sell a pregnant pangolin via Telegram. Those convicted of trading protected wildlife face fines of up to $50,000, up to two years’ imprisonment, or both. In December 2025, authorities made their largest seizure of Asian pangolin scales yet: sea cargo disguised as dried fish skin and believed to have come from more than 2,200 pangolins was found on a lorry transiting from Indonesia to Cambodia.

The Bukit Batok washing-machine rescue is a rare close-up of an animal that usually keeps to Singapore’s forests, and a reminder that as pangolins range further into urban edges, they face both accidental dangers and persistent trafficking threats. For Indonesians and Singaporeans, keeping this critically endangered species alive will require careful habitat protection, responsible responses to wildlife encounters, and continued vigilance against illegal trade.

Sources: Straits Times (2026) , The Star (2026)

Keywords: Bukit Batok Washing Machine Rescue, Manis Javanica, Pangolin Working Group, Habitat Loss, Pangolin Scale Seizure