Tuesday, August 29, 2017 23:49
Kampong Chhnang Province: The Royal Gendarmerie forces in collaboration with WATEC and the Forestry Administration of Kampong Chhnang Province at 4:30 pm August 29 went to rescue a 50kg Sun Bear held in captivity at a hotel in the of village of Touchakpol, Kampong Chhnang.

The owner of the bear said he had raised it since it was little, and that he loved it like a child. He did not understand that it was illegal to keep the bear because it is a protected species, and he didn't want to give the bear up, but eventually agreed that the authorities could take it away.
https://kohsantepheapdaily.com.kh/article/169535.html

The Sun Bear
The smallest bear species in the world is known as the Sun Bear. A full grown male may tip the scales at barely 66-154 pounds while females are even smaller, ranging 44-88 pounds.

Sun Bears have dark black or brown-black fur with a orange-yellow horseshoe shape in the chest characteristic of this species. They fur is short and sleek to adapt to the hot temperatures of the lowland it inhabits.
Some of the regions where the Sun Bear lives include Cambodia, Malaysia, Burma, and Bangladesh, reaching some parts of northeast India. Small numbers of them also live in Vietnam, Borneo and China. Their habitat ranges has been drastically reduced due to the destruction of the forest areas.
http://www.bioexpedition.com/sun-bear/

CEOCambodiaNews wrote: ↑Wed Aug 30, 2017 2:04 am

Tuesday, August 29, 2017 23:49
Kampong Chhnang Province: The Royal Gendarmerie forces in collaboration with WATEC and the Forestry Administration of Kampong Chhnang Province at 4:30 pm August 29 went to rescue a 50kg Sun Bear held in captivity at a hotel in the of village of Touchakpol, Kampong Chhnang.

The owner of the bear said he had raised it since it was little, and that he loved it like a child. He did not understand that it was illegal to keep the bear because it is a protected species, and he didn't want to give the bear up, but eventually agreed that the authorities could take it away.
https://kohsantepheapdaily.com.kh/article/169535.html

The Sun Bear
The smallest bear species in the world is known as the Sun Bear. A full grown male may tip the scales at barely 66-154 pounds while females are even smaller, ranging 44-88 pounds.

Sun Bears have dark black or brown-black fur with a orange-yellow horseshoe shape in the chest characteristic of this species. They fur is short and sleek to adapt to the hot temperatures of the lowland it inhabits.
Some of the regions where the Sun Bear lives include Cambodia, Malaysia, Burma, and Bangladesh, reaching some parts of northeast India. Small numbers of them also live in Vietnam, Borneo and China. Their habitat ranges has been drastically reduced due to the destruction of the forest areas.
http://www.bioexpedition.com/sun-bear/

The Bears are aggressive and dangerous not a friendly animal.

cue: some local restaurant: sun-bear steak, monsieur?

Interesting, both that the owner thought he was being kind to the bear, and also the reaction to freeing the bear on social media.

Sun bear freed from captivity
31 August 2017
Forestry officials and a wildlife NGO in Kampong Chhnang province descended on a guesthouse on Tuesday afternoon to rescue a sun bear that was being kept in a cage.
Provincial Forestry Administration chief Thaong Viravuthy said it was against the law to keep sun bears as pets, adding the animal would be rehoused at a zoo in Takeo province.

News of the rescue went viral on social media, and members of the public condemned the removal of the bear, saying it had been living peacefully with its owner.

However, Mr Viravuthy defended the actions of forestry officials, saying the bear was a wild animal and an endangered species.
“Raising it in a one-square metre cage amounts to torture. If we put the bear in the zoo, it can enjoy being with other bears. Keeping it in a cage is just like putting it in jail. “It will be happier and can breed in the zoo, where it will be provided with proper food and veterinary care,” he said.

He added that the owner of the bear would be spared from being fined because he was not aware that he was breaking the law by keeping the animal.“We understand that the owner was not aware of the law and provided the bear with good care and affection,” he said.
“But the law still does not allow this kind of thing. If we did allow it, there would be more smuggling and hunting in the forest.”
He said the owner was reluctant to give up the bear at first, but thanked authorities once they explained the situation.

Vuthy Ravong, project manager of the Wildlife Alliance’s wildlife rapid rescue team, said: “We have taken the bear to Tamao mountain zoo, where it arrived last night...
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/5080778/sun ... captivity/