The world’s media have called it the most miserable polar bear in the world – and having been named Pizza cannot have helped the animal’s mood. The bear in question (pictured below) is far from its natural habitat, and instead resides in a shopping mall in Guangzhou, where visitors take selfies with it. Images of the lethargic and depressed animal went viral and a petition to have Pizza freed attracted 500,000 signatures, according to the Daily Telegraph. Pizza lives in a glassed-off pen in an aquarium in the Grandview Mall, though an executive with the shopping centre’s ocean theme park told the Guangzhou Daily that, “The polar bear is very happy”. Animal rights groups have begged to differ and in the latest twist Animals Asia has said the Yorkshire Wildlife Park in Doncaster is willing to adopt Pizza and give him a new home (and hopefully a new name) in its specially created habitat for polar bears. So far it is not clear whether the offer has been accepted but a representative with Animals Asia is hopeful: “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,” he said. “From talking to them [Grandview Mall] I know they know that mistakes have been made in terms of their animal facilities and ongoing care.”
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