Mini wildlife zoo in condo

Mini wildlife zoo in condo


SHAH ALAM: A 25-year-old wo-man has been arrested for keeping a young Malayan Honey Bear, a Leopard Cat and a Slow Loris in a condominium unit in Desa Pandan, Kuala Lumpur.

All the three, classified as endangered species, were found in individual cages in the unit, occupied by the woman and her male relative.

The hotel worker, who had her statement recorded, is out on bail until the mention of the case on Dec 29.

She claimed that the animals belonged to the relative who was not at the condominium when enforcement officers from the Selangor Wildlife and National Parks Department raided it on Friday.

They went to the condominium following a tip-off from the public.



Deputy director of the Selangor department Mohammad Khairi Ahmad said they were looking for the male relative, who is in his 30s, to help them in their investigation.

He told a press conference yesterday that initial investigations showed the animals could have been bought from orang asli in Negri Sembilan and kept as pets.

Khairi said the bear could fetch RM5,000 while the big cat and the slow loris were worth about RM500 each in the market.

He warned the public not to keep or buy wildlife as it was against the law.

“This case is only tip of the iceberg. We believe many people out there are keeping the wild animals as pets in their homes.

“This is not the way to love wildlife. They belong in the wild.”

Khairi said that to get a baby bear, a hunter usually had to kill its mother first.

He added that the department would get a court order to send the animals to the Malacca Zoo or release them back to the wild.