Vietnam: Nine bile bears saved by Animals Asia after a decade in captivity

A local bile farm has handed over the bears and the animals are about to start their new life at a sanctuary.

Nine moon bears from the southern province of Binh Duong, which neighbors Ho Chi Minh City, are leaving the cages and are being transferred to a sanctuary.

A farm owner on Friday handed over the bears, four of them female, to a team of the Hong Kong-based wildlife protection group Animals Asia.

The farm was originally opened for commercial bear bile extraction. The government banned the practice in 2005.

Seven of the bears had been living in cages at the farm for more than 10 years and the other two since 2008, Animals Asia said in a press release Monday.

Read in full at e.vnexpress.net/news/news/9-bears-after-a-decade-in-captivity-saved-by-wildlife-group-in-vietnam-...

#Vietnam #bears #moonbears #bearbile Animals Asia

Image: Health experts check a bear at a farm in Binh Duong Province, Vietnam, on Friday (c) Animals Asia ... See MoreSee Less

16 hours ago  ·  

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Cambodia: Two shot by soldiers in Thailand over alleged illegal logging

Two Cambodians – one of them a military official – were shot by Thai soldiers last week after crossing the border to allegedly carry out illegal logging, according to Cambodia’s National Police.

On June 20, military official Oeun Kosan, 27, and Hon Danit, 17, who live in Oddar Meanchey’s Anlong Veng district, were allegedly illegally logging rosewood when they were shot, a statement read.

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* Find out more about this issue in the EIA report 'Routes of Extinction: The corruption and violence destroying Siamese rosewood in the Mekong' at ht.ly/XH4l30cVvmI
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Kosan was shot in the right arm while Danit was hit in his right knee, but both managed to escape to Cambodia.

Kirth Chantharith, spokesman for the National Police, said that eight Cambodians were also shot at by Thai soldiers on June 7 after crossing the border illegally. Seven managed to escape, and one is still believed to be missing.

Source: www.phnompenhpost.com/national/cambodians-shot-thai-soldiers-over-alleged-logging

#Cambodia #Thailand #rosewood #Hongmu #forests #illegallogging

Image: Armed forest rangers on patrol in a Thai national park in 2013 (c) EIA ... See MoreSee Less

16 hours ago  ·  

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USA: Texas investigation exposes illegal wildlife trade in exotic species

HOUSTON - Few people realize the illegal sale of exotic animals is estimated to be a multibillion-dollar-a-year business. In fact, officials with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department told Channel 2 Investigates the black market for exotic animals is second only to the illegal drug trade.

“The thing about crime or criminals, if they can make a buck, they’re going to,” Texas Parks and Wildlife Lt. Brent Satsky said.

Parks and Wildlife recently wrapped up an undercover operation in the Houston area. In just four days, game wardens posed as buyers and found 10 illegal sales. American alligators, a timber rattlesnake, a 100-year-old alligator snapping turtle, turtles and pythons were seized.

The snapping turtle and timber rattlesnake are threatened species, which makes it a Class C misdemeanor to own or sell them without a state permit. The pythons are considered invasive species and are also illegal to own of sell without a permit.

Full story at www.click2houston.com/news/investigates/exotic-animals-and-texas-law

#USA #Texas #illegalwildlifetrade #alligators #turtles #snakes #reptiles Texas Parks and Wildlife

Image: Alligator snapping turtle seized by enforcement officials in Texas, via click2houston ... See MoreSee Less

17 hours ago  ·  

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