Malaysian singer arrested over keeping a bear as a pet, says she mistook it for a dog

A Malaysian singer was arrested on June 7 on account of lodging a Sun bear at her condominium in Kuala Lumpur. Following her arrest, she claimed that bear which was rescued by her a few weeks back h been mistaken for a dog.

Led by a public tip-off cub was rescued from Sentrio Suites Condominium in Desa Pandan by Perhilitan staff after several residents heard animal’s cries and spotted it poking its he out of unit window and contacted department.

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Zarith Sofia, a former contestant on Rockava reality show, claimed she h intention of keeping six-month-old cub, which she purportedly found in a weak state in Bukit Ampang, Jalan Hulu Langat, in May.

"It was night time when I found bear cub in a weakened state by side of ro, and I thought it was dog!"  exclaimed 27-year-old.

Claiming to have honest intentions, she stated that she was only meaning to nurse cub back to health and n hand it over to zoo, however, delay was in view of her apprehensions regarding amenities that would be provided to ailing cub.

"I kw bear cant be reared, it can't be kept as a pet," she said. "I only wanted to save bear, I h intention of exploiting it."

A video of bear was also posted on social media by a Facebook user Ida Shareena which sparked off a series of criticism aiming at singer who was accused of poaching bear for purposes of selling it off illegally.

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Dismissing claims of selling protected wildlife, she stated “I run a business in day and at night I sing … when would I have time to sell animals?”

While poaching of a wild animal is an offence privy to a jail term, accused stood her grounds,

"I let Bru out of its c to roam about because I did t want it to sit in c for too long, that would have been even crueler,”.

Perhilitan director-general Datuk Abdul Kir Abu Hashim informed that bear estimated to be between five to seven months old was in good health and currently in department's custody.

While Zarith Sofia Mohd Yasin was charged under Sections 69 (1) and 86 (1)(e) of Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 with keeping animal without a permit and in a situation that is t conducive to its well-being.

department is yet to decide what to do with bear which is still in its nurturing st.