A woman has been arrested for keeping endangered animals including a leopard cat, a honey bear and a slow loris as pets in her apartment.

"The case is only the tip of the iceberg. We believe many people out there are keeping wild animals as pets in their homes," wildlife and national parks official Khairi Ahmad said, according to the Star newspaper.

"This is not the way to love wildlife. They belong in the wild," he said, adding that mother bears were usually killed in order to snatch a cub for sale.

The animals were seized on December 4 at the condominium apartment where they were kept in cages.

Authorities are now seeking a male relative of the arrested woman who said he was the owner of the animals.

Khairi said the animals would either be handed to the Malacca Zoo or released back into the wild.

- AFP