Rove and Tasma, the orphan cubs

smh.com.au
Matthew Benns
April 27, 2008

TV COMEDIAN Rove McManus and partner Tasma Walton have had two tiny orphan bear cubs named after them in a Cambodian sanctuary.

The TV host, who has been named as a contender to take Conan O'Brien's Late Night chair in the US, visited the Free The Bears Fund Inc sanctuary as a part of a recent wildlife tour.

"Being able to see the amazing work that Free The Bears does in Cambodia first-hand personalised the issue of wildlife trade for me," he said yesterday.

"The people at Free The Bears are passionate and personal advocates for these amazing animals. They need and deserve our support."

The Asiatic black bear cubs were confiscated from a wildlife trader and taken in by the Australian-funded sanctuary. The bears were saved from a trade that cuts off their paws for use in soup.

McManus and Walton visited the Cambodian sanctuary during a tour to prepare for his role as an ambassador for Fauna and Flora International.

Source: The Sun-Herald