Military officer urged to return cub

Military officer urged to return cub

PADANG, West Sumatra: A conservation agency called on a military officer in the West Sumatra town of Sungai Penuh to return a bear cub allegedly taken from the Kerinci Seblat National Park.

Lystia Kusumawardhani, chief of the national park's office in Sungai Penuh, said the case rose when numerous people submitted reports on the presence of a bear cub in a military compound in the town.

"The protected animal is reportedly to be taken to Jambi because the outgoing military officer is to move there," she said.

Lystia said she had met with the new chief of the military district in the town who did not know about the cub.

She said she had asked forest rangers to confiscate the cub but no action had been taken since the animal was unlawfully owned by a military officer. --Antara