 |
INTRODUCTION |  |
CAMPAIGN UPDATES |  |
THE CIRCUSES | |
GET ACTIVE | |
FREE DVD | |
DONATE NOW |  |
 |
Polar Bear Expert Gravely ConcernedCanadian Wildlife Service5320 122 St. Edmonton, Alta. T6H 3S5 November 14, 2001 Ms. Debbie Leahy Research Associate People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals 501 Front Street Norfolk, VA. 23510 Dear Ms. Leahy, I have looked at the video you sent me of the polar bears being held in cages and performing a circus in Puerto Rico. For your information, my experience with polar bears is 30+ years of doing research on wild polar bears, including studies of the natural behavior of undisturbed bears. I have no zoo experience, nor am I a veterinarian. Opinions expressed by me on this subject are mine and do not necessarily reflect those of either the Canadian Wildlife Service or the Government of Canada. With the qualifications above, it is my personal opinion that the conditions in which the animals in the video were being held are seriously substandard. I don't know if these were permanent or temporary holding facilities. The air temperature, according to the thermometer filmed, was apparently well over 100o F (>40o C) and there was no visible sign of water or anywhere the animals could get access to water for cooling. There was no sign of any other air conditioning to cool the animals. Polar bears in the wild might normally expect to encounter a range of temperatures from -40 C to plus 20-25 C for brief periods during the day in mid-summer in places like the western coast of Hudson Bay, and a cooler upper range in the High Arctic. They probably never experience heat like that in Puerto Rico. On hot days, wild polar bears sleep on the ice or, if they are on the land, they seek either water or locations where a cooling wind might be encountered. The animals in the video could do neither. I would guess they were very uncomfortable. The animals appeared very dirty and one appeared to have either dirt or infections across his face and in one eye. Wild polar bears are very clean animals and it is quite unusual to find a dirty one. Even when an animal is feeding on a seal, it will periodically stop to wash in a melt pool on the ice in summer or rub in the snow in winter. Even though bears feed on the fat of seals, which has a strong smell, the bears themselves almost never smell of fat or anything else on their fur. From the filthy appearance of the bears in the cages, it appears there is no access to a significant pool of clean water where the animals could maintain both basic cleanliness or cooling. The bears were crowded into small cages with no room to walk about or exercise and at least two exhibited strong repetitive stereotyped behavior, swinging of the head from side to side. This behavior is never seen in wild bears and is uncommon in captive bears that have their environment enriched by the addition of toys to play with, creatively presented food, or other distractions which stimulate natural behaviors such as investigation. The scenes of the captive bears performing in the circus had few redeeming features. The bears were coerced into their behaviors by threats and being hit with a whip of some sort. They appeared reluctant and curiously subdued. The show appeared to offer only superficial "tricks" produced by submissive reluctant animals, with no educational value or other apparent redeeming features. It was not possible to determine if other things had been done to the animals such as removal of claws, teeth, or partial drugging to render them less dangerous to the person in the ring making them perform. I presume that bears held in Puerto Rico would be subject to US law. I suspect there clear guidelines for the holding of bears in zoos from groups such as the Association of Zoos and Aquaria and the US Department of Agriculture. Whatever these rules might be, it seems clear the bears in Puerto Rico are being held in conditions that do not meet whatever those standards are. At best, I would judge the animals to be unacceptably filthy and very uncomfortable. More likely, the conditions in which they are being held is causing continuing discomfort and negatively affecting their health, neither of which is acceptable. Again, in my personal opinion, these animals should immediately be moved to facilities that meet international zoo standards for holding polar bears, either in Puerto Rico or elsewhere. Continuing to hold them in the cages and in the manner portrayed in the video may have been viewed as acceptable 50 or 100 years ago but cannot be justified in the 21st Century. Yours sincerely, Ian Stirling, PhD -------------------------------------------------------------
You can help stop the suffering of elephants, tigers, and other animals abused in the name of "entertainment." Click here to support PETA's vital work. |
l
 Printer-Friendly
l
E-Mail This Page
l
Subscribe to E-News
|
| About PETA Privacy Policy Disclaimer PETA Web Sites |
 |