Arturo – the world’s saddest polar bear – has died at the age of 30 in Argentina’s Mendoza Zoo. He had developed depression after his mate, Pelusa, died of cancer in 2012.
Arturo was the last captive polar bear in the country after Winner, who lived in Buenos Aires, died of heat wave in 2012.
Along with his declining health, Argentina’s climate played a key role in deteriorating Arturo’s condition. He was often spotted sleeping on concrete enclosures to beat the heat.
The polar bear’s story became an international animal welfare concern in 2014, when Greenpeace began a petition to have him moved to Canada as his condition was worsening by the day.
More than half a million people signed the petition. Many environmental groups also urged for him to be moved. But despite this, his transfer was ruled out, with Mendoza Zoo officials quoted as saying that “he is too old to be moved”.
And now, 2 years later, poor Arturo is dead.
In his final days, Arturo had lost his appetite due to which he had lost a lot of weight as well. Along with climatic conditions which did not support his body requirements, he had failing eyesight and had lost his sense of smell too.
Arutro’s is not the only case where an animal has suffered and lost its life due to human negligence. A number of animals are still living in or are being moved to countries where the climatic conditions do not support their body requirements. They are kept in cages where they are ultimately waiting to die.
The question is, what’s the point of having animal welfare associations and environmental groups, when we can’t save these animals? What are we waiting for? For these animals to become extinct?
R.I.P. Arturo.
H/T: BBC