Will The World’s Saddest Polar Bear Get A New Home

The polar bear that has been dubbed “the world’s saddest polar bear” could soon be getting a new home. The polar bear named “Pizza” that is kept alone in a demonstration at a Chinese mall, has reportedly been offered a new home in a British zoo.

Yorkshire Wildlife Park from Doncaster, England has requested Grandview Aquarium in Guangzhou, China to let them move Pizza from his current lonely enclosure in the mall to a more suitable environment in the Wildlife Park. Should the Chinese comply, the world’s saddest polar bear could be spending the rest of his days in an enclosure specially designed for his species among a community of bears. How would that be for a happy ending?

And it appears that the Chinese mall may be forced into complying to Yorkshire’s offers. Grandview has been under a lot of pressure ever since the polar bear’s sad story became viral earlier this year. The animal rights organization Animals Asia has collected more than half a million signatures on a petition demanding the aquarium be closed so that the world’s saddest polar bear could be moved to a more suitable enclosure.

Yorkshire Wildlife Park lies just outside the city of Doncaster, in South Yorkshire, England. The park is already home to England’s only two polar bears. The charity organization Animals Asia has refused to pay any fees in exchange for Pizza’s release, in fear of that money being used to purchase other animals. The organization has, however, assured Grandview that they will raise the money needed for transporting Pizza from Guangzhou to Doncaster, a distance of 6,200 miles.

Animal Asia’s welfare director Dave Neale spoke with the Daily Mail regarding the offer from the Yorkshire Wildlife Park and what this could mean for Pizza’s futures.

“The good news now for Grandview is that they now have the chance to put their mistake right. Thanks to this incredible offer from Yorkshire Wildlife Park there can be a happy ending and the negative publicity they have suffered can yet be turned into a positive news story.”

“From talking to them I know they know that mistakes have been made in terms of their animal facilities and ongoing care. As an organisation that works with animal carers to provide the best possible environment for animals, we have to say that we would be delighted to see Pizza end up at Yorkshire Wildlife Park.”

“There he would not only enjoy incredible facilities, he would also be part of a community of bears.”

People are outraged by this polar bear in a mall in Guangzhou, China: https://t.co/EKtn3lAzbt pic.twitter.com/12IVBQVL8X

— Travel + Leisure (@TravelLeisure) July 20, 2016

But the directors of the Grandview aquarium have denied being contacted by Yorkshire and seem adamant on keeping the animal within its current enclosure. The general manager of the aquarium who refused to give his full name and only went by “Fan,” spoke with Daily Mail regarding the offer from the Yorkshire Wildlife Park, saying that he felt that there was no need for a foreign organization to get involved in the matter.

“Yorkshire Wildlife Park has not contacted us. We are a legally compliant aquarium, run according to Chinese standards and protecting animal rights. In the future we will strengthen the protection of animal rights and welfare.”

https://www.facebook.com/OurWorldChannelOfficial/photos/a.416834298374371.96409.416813215043146/1176625592395234/?type=3&theater

Grandview has made it clear that they are not looking to move Pizza away from his current enclosure and have said that they have been more receptive to the demands of the animal rights organizations, improving the animal’s living condition. Animal Asia’s Dave Neale also spoke with Mashable on the matter.

“They very much want to improve the welfare of this polar bear, but they were never saying, ‘we want to re-home this bear'”.

[Featured Image by elizalebedewa/Fotolia/AP Images]