Arturo, a polar bear in the Mendoza Zoo, is in trouble. In conditions that are soaring to 40 degrees centigrade and alone after his mate died two years ago, newspapers such as The Independent and The Daily Mail are reporting that Arturo is depressed and potentially going insane.
An online campaign via Change.org is demanding that Arturo be moved to Assiniboine Zoo Park in Winnipeg, Manitoba. An Argentinian professor teaching at Université de Saint-Boniface in Winnipeg also has gotten involved, writing her embassy and the zoo. Professor Fernanda Arentsen told the Winnipeg Free Press “You can see he is going crazy. He moves the way polar bears do when they are suffering a lot of stress. He looks so sad. He looks in pain. You can imagine a polar bear in the desert with a swimming pool 50cm deep. It’s difficult to watch this poor animal suffering and in pain.”
Arturo is 29-years-old and, if moved to an appropriate facility, could live much longer.
Take Action
Please help Arturo by signing this online petition and contacting the Argentinian Tourism arm at info@argentina.travel and telling them you will not visit until Arturo is safe.
Photo: Screencap of TheDailyMail.co.uk
