A Kampong Speu woman has been charged with possession of endangered wildlife and put in pretrial detention after authorities allegedly found her in possession of two Asiatic black bears on May 19.

Wildlife Alliance’s Wildlife Rapid Rescue Team and the Southern Cardamom Forest Protection Program followed up on a tip Monday last week that led them to the two bears, which were being held in a village in Kampong Speu province, according to a post on Wildlife Alliance’s website on Tuesday.

To prevent the traders from escaping, the team waited outside for a search warrant. When it came, they entered and found the two animals.

According to the NGO, a warrant is out for the arrest of the suspect’s husband, who is a convicted wildlife trader.

Chhuon Vuthy, project chief for the organisation Free the Bears, said yesterday that the two animals, aged between 8 and 9 years old, were taken to his centre at Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre.