Group: Polar Bear at Bronx Zoo living in inhumane conditions

An animal advocacy group says the living conditions for a polar bear at the Bronx Zoo is inhumane.  CompassionsWorks International's Julie Cappiello says it's cruel for Tundra, a 24-year-old polar

News 12 Staff

Aug 31, 2016, 4:03 AM

Updated 2,957 days ago

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An animal advocacy group says the living conditions for a polar bear at the Bronx Zoo is inhumane. 
CompassionsWorks International's Julie Cappiello says it's cruel for Tundra, a 24-year-old polar bear, to be kept outside during hot temperatures. According to conservationists, there are only 26,000 polar bears left in the wild. 
"It's so inhumane to push an animal who doesn't belong here outside in the heat," she says.
Over 17,000 people have signed a Change.org petition for the animal to be moved out of the zoo and into a sanctuary. Director of the Bronx Zoo Jim Breheny says Tundra has enough shade, a pool to stay cool and sleeps indoors at night. 
"Because they were evolved to be in snow and ice, doesn't mean they have to be in snow and ice," he says.
The zoo says they don't plan on replacing Tundra when he dies.