The alleged fatal poisoning of a sun bear and a thoroughbred horse in the Malacca Zoo and Night Safari has been solved with the arrest of a 65-year-old trader early today.

Malacca CID chief ACP Raja Shahrom Raja Abdullah said the police picked up the man at a housing area in Kulai Besar, Johor at about 1am and seized a vehicle and several items related to the case from him.

“The suspect admitted to being involved in the case, but it is too early to reveal the motive of his action. He is not working with the zoo,” he said when contacted today.

A stallion aged 17 and a female sun bear aged between 14 and 16 died in the Malacca Zoo on Sunday. They were believed to have been poisoned through food.

Raja Shahrom said the police went after the man for he was caught on the zoo’s CCTV behaving suspiciously.

The man is being remanded for four days starting today to assist in the investigations under Section 429 of the Penal Code for mischief with intent to kill or injure animals.

He faces imprisonment up to five years or a fine or both, if convicted.

Meanwhile, Malacca Chief Minister Mohd Ali Rustam commended the police for solving the case with the arrest of the individual allegedly involved in the incident.

“We hope the person responsible will be convicted to serve as a lesson to others,” he told reporters during his visit to the site of a tourism project at the 1Malaysia Square in Malacca today.

Mohd Ali said the state government would honour its promise to reward RM10,000 to a person or persons who provide information leading to the arrest of the person responsible for the poisoning.

“We’ll find out from the police on the person or persons who deserved the reward,” he added.

- Bernama