Local singer Azharina says only keeps ‘Gorilla, Gozilla’ after captive sun bear link

KUALA LUMPUR, June 8 — Local artiste Azharina Azhar today denied claims that she is the singer under investigation for keeping a sun bear cub in a condominium here.

The 34-year-old whose vocals can be heard on Elegi Sepi took to Facebook early this morning to debunk the link, saying she only had three bear-like creatures in her possession.

“I’m not rearing sun bears, but I have 2 baby bears Gorilla Gozilla and everyone’s favourite bro my friend Mohd Fauzi Yusoff the north bear,” she wrote in Malay, adding that she was caring for some koi fish on behalf of her sister Nuraisyah Tan.

Azharina also pointed out that the singer in question was reported to be in her 20s and lived in a condominium unit, while she was older and lived in a townhouse in a gated housing estate.

Azharina added that she is still on holidaying outstation with her children for Raya.

Several media outlets including state newswire Bernama had earlier reported an unnamed female singer aged 27 detained by the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) for keeping a six-month-old sun bear inside her Sentrio Suites Condominium in Desa Pandan here.

Perhilitan was alerted to the captive cub, a protected animal under the law, by condo residents who had heard its cries and spotted it poking its head out of a window yesterday.

The cub is now under Perhilitan custody.