KUALA TERENGGANU, Mar 4: Please capture the remaining bears by all means but do not kill them, says Sahabat Alam Malaysia.

"The bears are totally protected and are seriously running out of living space in the forest. They are being forced out into the open, thus coming into conflict with man," its president, S.M. Mohd Idris, said.

"The female bear had to die through no fault of its own but only in the belief that it was dangerous and had posed a threat to the residents," he added.

Idris was commenting on a New Straits Times report today on the shooting of the female bear in Felda Kerteh 6, Dungun.

The bear was shot twice in the head after being found foraging in an area in Felda Kerteh 6 by a hunting party, comprising National Parks and Wildlife Department (Perhilitan) and Rela personnel, yesterday.

Three more bears are still at large in the area.

Idris said rather than imposing the death sentence on the three remaining bears, he hoped the department would seek expert help to capture the animals alive and relocate them in a habitat where they would not be in contact with man.

"Perhilitan is into conservation and protection of wildlife which are endangered, and not into annihilation of wildlife."