Sun bear's stay in condo comes to an abrupt end

PETALING JAYA (June 8): Malaysians are increasingly used to living in condos, high rise and strata properties and it looks like this “lifestyle” has also been adopted by a furry citizen of ours.

The Star reported that residents of Sentrio Suites Condominium in Kuala Lumpur recently reported to the authorities about a sun bear cub being kept by one of the residents.

They were first alerted of its presence when it started sticking its head out of an apartment window and roaring.

A resident named Jay told the daily that the “roaring shocked them” and prompted the residents to investigate the “screaming”.

“One of my neighbours called the authorities. They thought it was a prank but they arrived quickly,” Jay said.

The owner of the unit said the cub was injured when she took it home.

According to sun bear expert Dr Wong Siew Te, “poachers would have killed the mother bear and sold the cub to a middleman”.

“This incident shows how bad the exotic pet keeping trade is in the country, especially in Peninsular Malaysia,” Wong told The Star.

Meanwhile, Bernama reported that Perhilitan had taken custody of the cub.

Director-general Datuk Abdul Kadir Abu Hashim said the unit owner, a 27-year-old lady who is a singer, has been arrested as she did not have any legal documents to allow her to keep the sun bear.

Abdul Kadir said she was being investigated for keeping an endangered wild animal without Perhilitan's permission, an offence under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 [Act 716].
 

(Videos taken from Facebook of Lim Pui San)