Bear farm owner arrested for making false report to cover up illegal slaughtering
YONGIN, South Korea, Oct. 21 (Yonhap) -- The owner of a bear farm has been arrested on charges of falsely claiming that two black bears escaped from the farm in an attempt to cover up an illegal slaughter, police said Thursday.
The incident happened on July 6 when the farm owner in his 70s reported to the city government of Yongin, south of Seoul, that two 3-year-old Asiatic Black Bears, also called moon bears, had disappeared.
Later that day, one bear was found about 1 km away from the farm and shot dead, but the other was never discovered, even though about 50 city officials searched the area for 20 days.
The farm owner later confessed to police that only one bear escaped from the farm.
Investigations found that the owner butchered one bear right before the other ran away and filed a false report to cover up his wrongdoing.
The man killed the bear in front of other bears at the farm and collected its gall bladder for bile and other body parts for meat. The owner only had approval for bile farming, not butchery, according to the police.
The Yongin Dongbu Police Station arrested him Wednesday with a court warrant on charges of violating the Animal Protection Act and the Wildlife Protection and Management Act.
Earlier this year, the farm owner was sentenced by an appellate court to four months in prison, suspended for one year, on similar charges in a separate case.
South Korea is one of the few countries in the world that still allow bear bile farming, but the act of killing an animal in front of other animals is banned by law.
Moon bears are one of the endangered animal species in the extinction crisis.
nyway@yna.co.kr
(END)
-
(Yonhap Interview) Talent, gov't support are key to chip industry's success: professor
-
(LEAD) Samsung begins mass production of 3nm chips
-
Yoon to agree to new partnership with NATO in second half of year
-
First lady Kim, Queen Letizia of Spain talk K-beauty, being the same age
-
(LEAD) N. Korea appears to have discharged water from dam near inter-Korean border: gov't official
-
(Yonhap Interview) Talent, gov't support are key to chip industry's success: professor
-
(LEAD) Samsung begins mass production of 3nm chips
-
Yoon to agree to new partnership with NATO in second half of year
-
(LEAD) Yoon to agree to new partnership with NATO in second half of year
-
Car of missing Cho family found off southwestern coast
-
S. Korean catching prospect signs with Kansas City Royals: source
-
Photo of Yoon staring at blank computer screen raises eyebrows
-
Culture minister: public opinion most important factor in determining military exemptions for BTS
-
Tottenham star Son Heung-min appreciative of teammates for making Golden Boot possible
-
(LEAD) S. Korea to seek 'new structure' of talks with N. Korea, unification minister says