A bear cub has been rescued after being ensnared in a trap at an oil palm plantation. Current regulations prohibit people from installing snare traps to capture wild animals.
The Riau Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA Riau) has rescued a bear cub that was stuck in a wire trap at an oil palm plantation in Ringin village in Batang Gansal district, Indragiri Hulu regency, Riau.
The agency received a report on the trapped cub from village residents on Wednesday. It later dispatched a rescue team to the village alongside several officers of the Batang Gansal Police.
They arrived at the location at 6:14 p.m. local time but were unable to rescue the trapped animal immediately.
“The sun had already set by the time we arrived in the village. However, the team went to check on the bear cub’s condition,” BKSDA Riau head Suharyono said in a statement on Friday.
Read also: Saving wildlife: Rangers find, dismantle hundreds of traps in conservation areas in Riau
“We also faced a hindrance as the cub’s mother was waiting near the location. We pulled back while waiting for our medical team from Pekanbaru to arrive.”
The rescue attempt continued on Thursday after the team drove away the cub’s mother.
After the mother fled the scene, rescue team personnel immediately cut the nylon trap ensnaring the cub’s left leg.
“There’s only a shallow cut on the cub’s leg. The medical team recommended releasing the animal into the wild immediately,” Suharyono said, adding that the cub chased after its mother after being treated.
Police personnel managed to remove three snare traps in the area. The BKSDA Riau team later told village chiefs about the incident and asked them not to install snare traps in the future as it was prohibited by law. (dpk)
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