Help Polar Bears at the Saddest Zoo in the World
- by: PETA
The Grandview Aquarium in Guangzhou, China, opened the doors to its animal on January 9, 2016, and has already been called "one of the saddest zoos in the world" because the animals there suffer from neglect, poor care, lack of stimulation, and lack of natural light. The zoo is located in a shopping mall.
The aquarium displays 500 species—including two polar bears, five walrus calves, six young beluga whales, and two Arctic wolves—in barren enclosures that are too small for them to engage in natural behavior.
Spectators have reported that animals display symptoms of zoochosis. The walrus calves and beluga whales have been observed swimming in circles in their small tanks, and the bears, Arctic wolves, and foxes pace back and forth excessively and scratch at the walls. Many captive animals develop such neurotic and abnormal behavior as the result of literally being driven crazy by their confinement. Captive marine animals often die years earlier than their natural life spans from a wide variety of causes, including living in contaminated water, which might have caused the death of a grouper who was found dead inside a tank.
The Grandview Aquarium, like all aquariums, is part of a billion-dollar industry built on the suffering of intelligent, social beings who are denied everything that is natural and important to them. Many Chinese citizens have spoken out against the animals' living conditions at the zoo, and a WeChat post about the appalling facility has gone viral. However, we need to raise more awareness to help put a stop to this cruel "attraction."
Please sign our petition asking Cui Tiankai, ambassador of China to the U.S., to use his influence to close the Grandview Aquarium and ensure the welfare of the animals who are imprisoned there.
Dear [Decision maker],
I was deeply concerned to hear about the poor living conditions of the animals who are housed at the recently opened Grandview Aquarium in Guangzhou.
Walrus calves and beluga whales can be seen swimming in circles in their small tanks, and the bears, Arctic wolves, and foxes have been observed pacing back and forth excessively and scratching at the walls. Many captive animals develop this neurotic and abnormal behavior in an effort to cope with their miserable lives. Their living conditions in this zoo prison stand in stark contrast to what they would experience in their natural habitats, where they would be free to roam. In the wild, marine animals live rich lives filled with activities and interests. They swim together in extended pods and travel vast distances every day in the open ocean. In captivity--where their worlds are reduced from miles to meters--they can do nothing but swim in circles in tanks that are, to them, the size of bathtubs.
The public has been voicing opposition to the Grandview Aquarium, and we will keep raising awareness of the zoo's poor living conditions until its doors close. Please use your influence to help ensure the welfare of the animals imprisoned at the Grandview Aquarium.
[Your comments here]
Thank you,
[Your name]
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