Singer accidentally keeps bear cub in flat thinking it was a stray dog, detained

A singer in Malaysia has been detained by authorities for keeping a bear which she says, she mistook for a stray dog. According to a translation by The Star, Zarith Sofia Yasin told Malay daily Kosmo!, “It was night time when I found the bear cub in a weakened state by the side of the road – and I thought it was dog!”

On June 7, The Department of Wildlife and National Parks Peninsular Malaysia (Perhilitan) reportedly arrested the 27-year-old for keeping an endangered wild animal in her home.

Residents were alerted of the furry omnivorous after it let out an unusual roar, one that is definitely one not of a dog. Perhilitan officers conducted a raid at the singer’s condominium unit in Desa Pandan following a public tip-off after which the singer was detained by members of Malaysia’s Department of Wildlife and National Parks for keeping a protected animal, according to local media.

According to local reports, the bear cub was just six months old and was in poor health when Zarith discovered it and apparently keeping it under her wing which she even named Bruno. The singer however did have second thoughts about letting the bear be released.

‘’I was worried about sending Bruno to the zoo because the animals there look skinny, ‘’ the former reality star explained.

The woman however claims that she ‘only wanted to save the bear’ and had ‘no intention of exploiting it’.