On July 3, 2016, Arturo the polar bear died after more than twenty lonely years of misery and confinement in an Argentinian zoo. While the world was outraged at the conditions Arturo was kept in and many fought to move him to a more suitable environment, little was able to be done for him because of the zoo’s blatant disregard for his welfare.

In New York City’s Bronx Zoo, Tundra the polar bear is also languishing alone in confinement. The Wildlife Conservation Society, the organization that owns the Bronx Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, Central Park Zoo, and the New York Aquarium, is no stranger to polar bears and other animals languishing in their “care”.

Gus, the Central Park polar bear, was known for his psychotic behavior. Day in and day out, he would aimlessly swim around in his tiny enclosure. The New York Daily News reported that Gus “became a typically kooky New Yorker, drawing attention for his obsessive daily swim routine. A California psychiatrist was even summoned to treat Gus back in 1994.”

Gus was euthanized during the summer of 2013. Yet three years later Tundra is still pacing in his prison with little concern shown for his plight. He continues to walk back and forth in his tiny, barren pit, where New York City’s blistering sun beats down on him during the summer. His pacing is an indication of zoochosis, or stereotypic behavior, frequently found in animals unnaturally confined to small enclosures.

In the wild, polar bears roam great distances to hunt for their food, and have been known to swim as far as 60 miles without rest. They live in the Arctic, where temperatures are a frigid -29 F and can reach as low as -92 F. Despite the unbelievably cold temperatures, polar bears can often overheat and will roll in the snow to cool off, as well as to keep their fur clean. There is nothing “normal” or “natural” about confining a polar bear to a concrete cell in New York.

The Bronx Zoo is no stranger to animals showing signs of distress. The zoo has made the “List of Top 5 Worst Zoos” for the elephants in their care, who conveniently can only be seen for a split second while on the monorail. However unlike Happy, Patty, and Maxine, Tundra is out in the open, unable to be hidden from the public eye. His distress is available for all to see, to those who choose to acknowledge it.

Captivity is animal cruelty. CompassionWorks International urges the Wildlife Conservation Society to have a heart and send Tundra to a more suitable sanctuary environment for the remainder of his days. We hope they prove to the world that you truly "stand for wildlife" and do the right thing for Tundra.

Please sign and share our petition today!