On October 17th, Tongki the polar bear- who spent his days inside a concrete pit at Everland, a theme park in South Korea- was found lifeless. To compound the sadness of losing this beautiful creature, he was set to finally be moved to a British wildlife park and have freedom for the first time in his life.
Sadly, it seems he just couldn’t wait anymore. Yes, I’m sad but I’m also so angry I almost can’t contain it.
“In the summer months, the tropical heat was so intense that the arctic bear rarely moved. Every day, he was stared down at by noisy zoo visitors and had nowhere to escape their constant picture taking.”1
Had he moved to the sanctuary, he would have enjoyed cooler temperatures, snow, and ice. For the first time in his life.
Everland has long been criticized by animal advocates for keeping Tongki in unsuitable living conditions; in the summer months temperatures easily surpass 90 degrees Fahrenheit and due to the extreme humidity, the poor darling had algae growing on his fur. But beyond that, Tongki often demonstrated “stereotypic behavior, that stemmed from the stress of living at a zoo. He would regularly stand nearly motionless in his shallow pool, as throngs of tourists gawked and took photos of him.”2
Poor, sweet, innocent animal.
One Tongki advocate once wrote, “Korean summers are hot and humid, and they are true torture for Tongki. Polar bears do not have any physiological means of staying cool (such as sweat glands). Captive polar bears are often seen mimicking the same behaviour methods that dogs do in order to cool down, such as slobbering tongues and panting.”3
That people were able to, essentially, torture this animal — should be criminal. And it needs to stop now.
After thousands of people signed online petitions urging the zoo to relocate Tongki to a sanctuary or provide a more appropriate enclosure for him, they agreed to move him. It just happened too late.
Tongki is dead. But, you can honor his memory and help save other animals from the same terrible fate, by avoiding zoos that keep polar bears in captivity and donating to causes that help conserve wild habitats for them.
One such group is Polar Bears International. Please consider helping if you are able.
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