The bear lives at a zoo in Argentina all by himself, has to endure scorching temperatures

Jul 14, 2014 09:13 GMT  ·  By
Polar bear living in captivity in Argentina argued to be the world's saddest animal
   Polar bear living in captivity in Argentina argued to be the world's saddest animal

Animal rights activists have been going on and on about how cruel it is to keep wild animals captive for years. Now that the story of a depressed polar bear named Arturo is making headlines, folks might actually start listening to them.

The polar bear, whose photo is available above, currently lives in captivity at a zoo in Argentina. This facility that Arturo has more or less willingly been calling his home for two decades is named Mendoza Zoo.

According to media reports, the polar bear lives in an enclosure that is chiefly made of concrete and that accommodates for a pool that is just 20 inches (roughly 50 centimeters) deep and, therefore, unsuitable for Arturo.

What's more, the 29-year-old creatures, argued to be the world's saddest animal, has nobody to play or interact with. This is because Pelusa, the polar bear he used to share his enclosure with, has been dead since 2012, Daily Mail informs.

As if having to live in a small enclosure all by himself were not enough to make mincemeat of Arturo's mental health, it looks like the animal also endures temperatures of about 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) day in, day out.

Folks who have had the chance to see Arturo in person and observe him for a while claim that the animal shows signs of being severely depressed. Thus, the bear is said to often tilt his head, rock from side to side, and pace around his enclosure.

Interestingly enough, staff at Mendoza Zoo claims that such accounts are not true to facts, and that the polar bear is well looked after at this facility. Thus, they claim air conditioning units help him cope with the heat, and that he is well fed and entertained.

Word has it that it was about five months ago that animal rights activists tried to have the polar bear moved to a wildlife park in Winnipeg, Canada. Folks at Mendoza Zoo argued Arturo would have not survived the journey, and the animal never made it to Assiniboine Park Zoo.

“We must avoid a big mistake, like his death during the trip or upon arrival. One must evaluate the risks carefully. He is old, and this would require many hours of anesthesia,” Mendoza Zoo Director Gustavo Pronotto said in a statement at that time.

Since animal rights activists are not ones to give up all that easily, at least not when it comes to lending a helping hand to an animal that is clearly in distress, efforts are now being made to convince Mendoza Zoo's managing board to send Arturo to another facility.