Animal rights activists are circulating an online petition to help Arturo, the polar bear that lives in unsafe temperatures at the Mendoza Zoo in Argentina. Experts observing Arturo’s behavior say that he has been displaying symptoms of depression after his long-time companion, and the only other polar bear in Argentina, died back in 2012 from overheating.
Animal rights activists are circulating an online petition to help Arturo, the polar bear that lives in unsafe temperatures at the Mendoza Zoo in Argentina.
Experts observing Arturo’s behavior say that he has been displaying symptoms of depression after his long-time companion, and the only other polar bear in Argentina, died back in 2012 from overheating.
Argentinean professor Fernanda Arentsen, who has addressed the government about her concern for Arturo is quoted as saying: "You can see he is going crazy. He moves the way polar bears do when they are suffering a lot of stress. He has been filmed rocking back and forth in a way that signals distress."
A bid to move Arturo to the International Polar Bear Conservation Centre in Winnipeg, Canada was denied when experts at Mendoza Zoo claimed that the bear wouldn’t be able to survive the trip in his fragile condition.
Additionally, in order to legally move the polar bear to another zoo, they have to provide medical records covering a minimum of three years, which the zoo reportedly doesn’t have.
Temperatures at the zoo can reportedly reach over one hundred degrees Fahrenheit, and Arturo only has a pool with less than 20 inches of water to cool off.
