Red pandas confiscated in Laos were trafficked from China, shedding further light on trade in exotic pets
With habitats under threat in the Eastern Himalayas and China, red pandas are considered endangered and highly vulnerable to infectious diseases
The rescue in Laos of three endangered red pandas trafficked from China has raised fears the rare animals are increasingly being coveted by exotic pet owners.
Landlocked Laos, which borders China and Vietnam, is a key transit hub in the global trade in illegal wildlife, but experts say the discovery of red pandas there is virtually unheard of.
Six of the cat-seized bears were found on January 12 inside northern Laos during a random stop of a van travelling from China, one of their few remaining habitats.
Three died later after the rough journey but the remaining three were sent to a sanctuary run by the Free the Bears NGO in the northern tourist town of Luang Prabang, where they are recovering well.
“They have already made it through their initial two-week quarantine period which has allowed us to move them to larger cages where they have more room to climb,” said Rod Mabin, regional communications director with Free the Bears.
The group shared recent footage of the ring-tailed red pandas munching on leaves and eating fresh fruit while occasionally staring up in apparent puzzlement at the camera.