Chewing bamboo and lazing under the cooling mist sprayed by the fan, “Jackie Chan” is in a relaxed mood. He is considered one of three red pandas that were once destined for the exotic wildlife trade, but at the moment are settling right into a recent home within the verdant sanctuary of Laos.
The three animals, named Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee and Peace, were amongst six animals stuffed into crates during a random inspection of a van heading from China across the border into northern Laos in January.
Dehydrated and deprived of food, three people died inside days, and the survivors were taken to a sanctuary run by the nonprofit Free the Bears within the hills across the tourist hotspot of Luang Prabang.
It was “very, very difficult” to avoid wasting the three who died, says Sengaloun Vongsay, manager of Lao’s Free the Bears program.
Experts say it was the primary discovery of a red panda in Laos, raising fears that the endangered species could turn out to be the most recent goal of the illegal pet industry, coveted for its shiny copper fur and “cute” appearance.
“They eat well, they’re generally pretty relaxed,” said Michelle Walhout Tanneau, operations manager for Free the Bears.
With their forest habitats under threat, red panda populations in Nepal, Bhutan, India, China and Burma are vulnerable.
Free the Bears provided temporary enclosures and put aside a part of a tree-covered area where red pandas could live if they might not be released into the wild.
Both superstar nicknames were assigned by staff, with “Room” chosen by a donor.
There are ongoing discussions about where the creatures will live after full recovery.
“It is just not yet known whether this may occur in a sanctuary in Laos or within the wild in China,” Release Bears spokesman Rod Mabin.
Source : 24Matins.uk | Jakarta Post Office
