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Polar Bear Imprisoned in Chinese Mall for People to Take Photos



The newspaper The Guardian reported a Polar bear named ´Pizza´ is being kept in an “ocean theme park” at Grandview Centre in the city of Guangzhou, China.

Pizza, who is now referred to as “the world’s saddest polar bear” has already more than 285,000 people petitioning for the closure of the aquarium.

Li Chengtang, the aquarium´s deputy manager, told the Guangzhou Daily newspaper “The polar bear in the aquarium is very happy”, as the park’s management initially denied the claims that Pizza was being mistreated.

A Hong Kong-based animal rights charity denounced the aquarium as a “horrifying” animal prison” which shed a light from the international headlines after its opening in early January.

As a way to lower the international outrage over the wretched conditions in which the animals were being forced to live, such as posing with tourist for selfies beside them, members of the Animal Asia, a Hong Kong-based charity, were invited to visit the aquarium in April.

The theme park’s management had sought advice on how to improve conditions for its animals, although it had been “genuinely shocked” by the international clamor.

Although the visit and the pressure could benefit the animals, Animals Asia said the park´s administration did not indicate the aquarium would be closed or that any of the animals they keep inside would be rehoused (which also include walrus calves and beluga whales).

“The sad truth is, in this instance, we can’t immediately shut down Grandview. And they are unlikely to free this bear, or any of the other animals they house, at least not in the short-term,” said Dave Neale, the group’s animal welfare director.

Animal Asia said it would continue to fight to improve animal conditions in this said ‘attractions’.

China’s amusement park industry is going against the fading economic boom; with more than a dozen more parks scheduled to open over the next two years. China has currently 39 ocean theme parks.


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