Arturo (1985 – July 3, 2016) was a polar bear living in Mendoza Zoological Park in Mendoza, Argentina, the only polar bear living in the country. He was born in the United States and transferred to Argentina in 1993. His companion, a female named Pelusa, died of cancer in 2012. The living conditions of the cage Arturo resided in were controversial, as temperatures reach up to 40 °C in Argentina, and the pool in Arturo's cage was only 20 inches deep. Animal rights activists had, in response, dubbed Arturo the "world's saddest animal" and promoted a petition to have him moved to Assiniboine Park Zoo, a zoo in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The petition was created by Laura Morales of Hamilton, Ontario. It gained considerable attention after the hashtag #Freearturo began trending on Twitter. Supporters of the petition also noted that a polar bear died in Buenos Aires in December 2012 due to excessive heat, and argued that Arturo exhibited symptoms of depression and other mental health problems.
Born |
1 January 1985 Usa
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Died |
3 July 2016 (aged 31) Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Zodiac | Capricorn |
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