Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Phnom Ta Mao zoo plans to release some of its bears

Bears preservation center at Phnom Ta Mao zoo (Photo: AFP)

11 June 2008
By Nhim Sophal
Cambodge Soir Hebdo

Unofficial translation from French by Tola Ek

An official of the Ta Mao national zoo announced on Wednesday 11 June a plan to release bears back to nature, following a re-acquaintance period with wilderness.

86 bears of all age, confiscated from anti-wild animal trafficking raids, or surrendered by private parties, will return to their natural habitat, the zoo communiqué stated.

Some of these bears were kept by private parties in spite of a law in 2002 preventing such practice. Oknha Mong Reththy (one of Hun Sen’s friends and cronies) set the example by turning a bear he kept at home to the zoo.

Nhek Ratanak Pich, the zoo director, explained about the difficulties encountered to release these bears. Caged, fed in cage with artificial foods, sometimes for several years, these bears would be unable to survive if they are not trained to find food on their own in nature first. “We need time and money before being able to release these bears back into the forest,” he added. He indicated that the upkeep of these numerous bears also increased the cost to the zoo.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

How about the three monkeys when should we release them they can go find food in Hanoi! They use to eat goat 's shit!

Do mai ah Ho Chi Minh shit had!

Anonymous said...

talk about phnom ta moa zoo, i hope it is being turned into a world class zoo for all to enjoy like the san diego zoo or other well-known zoo in the world. god bless cambodia.

Anonymous said...

Let's put Hen Sen and his party in that zoo so it will becomes popular quickly. Anyway the bear on the right look so much like Hun with his tongue
pulled (talking stupidity non stop).

Anonymous said...

Bullshit, the bear just being naughty at you for being stupid, you fool.