Albania authorities stop sale of a bear cub on the internet

Albanian environment officials say they have stopped the sale of a 3-month-old bear cub on the internet.

Environment Ministry spokeswoman Ana Kekezi said today that a shepherd found the bear stuck in rocks at Shen Meri village, 35 kilometres east of the capital.

She says the shepherd, who put the animal up for sale, was detained, fined and released.

The bear, which has been named Rei, was taken to a zoo park where experts would assess whether it was safe to return it to the wild or be taken to a sanctuary.

Many restaurants, resorts and individuals exploit caged bears to attract customers or charge admission at a time when their number in the wild has been declining.

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)