Polar bear dubbed world's loneliest animal finds friendship at last - with stray cat

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/polar-bear-dubbed-worlds-loneliest-4176803#ixzz3CZwZ2K83

Sep 06, 2014 19:55 By Patrick Hill

Thousands of animal lovers joined a campaign to move Arturo after the Sunday People revealed in July he was living in a zoo where the ­temperature reaches 40C




Pals: Arturo with Oscar the cat
A lonely polar bear kept in sweltering conditions has found friendship at last – with a stray cat.

Thousands of animal lovers joined a campaign to move Arturo after the Sunday People revealed in July he was living in a zoo where the ­temperature reaches 40C (104F).

The 900lb captive, whose bear companion died two years ago, has only a 50cm (20in) deep pool, has ­become a father-figure to Oscar.

The pair keep each other ­company during the day, cuddle up at night and even share food.


Video: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/polar-bear-dubbed-worlds-loneliest-4176803#ixzz3CZwZ2K83




Ordeal: Arturo's only mate died two years ago


FULL story at link.

[beam me up scottie]

1. Heartbreaking.

[Uncle Joe]

2. I hope they can find a far more suitable home for this poor animal.

That kind of heat would tough on many creatures but for a Polar Bear it would be literal torture.

Thanks for the thread, Omaha Steve.

[Omaha Steve]

13. I wish this had been a happy story

[BlueCaliDem]

3. What is wrong with the "bosses" at that Zoo?! They refuse to move Arturo

to a more suitable habitat and Zoo out of, what? Pride? Or is it their aim to kill off the poor Ice-bear because its mate died? This really frustrates me to no end. They should be thinking of the Ice-bear, not their friggin pride!

Campaigners - who include US singing legend Cher - have called for the bear to be move to a new home in Canada where temperatures are cooler.

But despite more than 700,000 people signing a petition on Change.org to have him moved, their pleas looks to have fallen on deaf ears.

Zoo director Gustavo Pronotto said Arturo was "close to his caretakers" and that the zoo just wanted everyone to "stop bothering the bear".

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/zoo-bosses-refuse-move-worlds-3910849#ixzz3CbdAoHzg

[Liberal_in_LA]

14. poor bear. low class zoo

[freshwest]

4. 'Despite this, ­campaigners still want Arturo moved from his concrete ­enclosure in Mendoza Zoo...'

My concern is that when it says:

'Despite this, ­campaigners still'

Talking of his feline friendship, that may mean they will be separated.

Neither of these animals are robots. They have feelings and should not be parted. That one sentence made it sound as if this aspect is not being taken into account here.

Is there a significant difference between a polar bear whose fur is white to blend in with his environment, and eats a very heavy diet to maintain fat to survive in the cold, and a bear that lives in a hotter climate?

Perhaps donations to the zoo to make Arturo's living area better (some zoos have cold water, ice, etc.) would work to make his life better if the zoo won't let him go.

[calimary]

5. This breaks my heart.

What man has done to animals. Detestable.

[freshwest]

6. Yes, they see them as things to be used, not as living beings. Makes it easy for them to do it?

[BrotherIvan]

7. +1

This should be considered animal cruelty. This poor animal should be seized an moved.

[Tom Ripley]

10. +1000

It is disgusting

[SMC22307]

15. Agree. (n/t)

[Ken Burch]

8. So. move the cat,too.

It's disgusting that the zoo management still doesn't understand that you can't make a freaking POLAR bear live in temperatures
of over 100 degrees, Fahrenheit.

How did these people get put in charge of a zoo in the first place? Aren't you supposed to have a proper education about what conditions different species of animals need to be kept in in order to survive?

[sakabatou]

12. I don't get it either

[ErikJ]

9. Move him to Canada and get him a husky.

[smirkymonkey]

11. LOL!

That is the cutest photo, but the caption makes it hysterical!