One of three rescued red pandas, once destined for the exotic wildlife trade, settles in at a sanctuary in Luang Prabang, Laos. It was "very, very hard" to save the three that perished, says Sengaloun Vongsay, Laos programme manager for Free the Bears. Laos is a key transit hub in the illegal and lucrative global trade in wildlife, sharing borders with Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and China. In January Thai authorities arrested Boonchai Bach, a Vietnamese national with Thai citizenship and an alleged kingpin in Asia's illegal wildlife trade, for rhino horn trafficking. Rod Mabin, a spokesman for the non-profit group, said the group was consulting with experts and the red pandas would live in the sanctuary for the foreseeable future.

Source: Bangkok Post May 11, 2018 12:56 UTC