Just like us, only hairier

Ava Hicks | Staff Writer

Cameras flash and glass vibrates as noisy shoppers gawk at the creature in the cramped enclosure, shaking his matted fur and seeking escape from the never ending stares.

This pitiful animal is Pizza, a polar bear who is kept in a tiny glass enclosure as part of the Grandview Polar Sea World inside of a shopping mall in Guangzhou, China.

In October, a video of Pizza went viral, revealing distressing animal behaviors such as mindless head-shaking and ample time spent sniffing the metal grate of an air vent. This led to an outburst from animal rights activists all over the world, who justly dubbed him “the world’s saddest polar bear.”

As if Pizza’s imprisonment isn’t atrocious enough, Grandview Mall is actually home to hundreds of animals that are trapped in exhibits far smaller than what is appropriate for their size. With all the attention Pizza has gotten over the past couple weeks, it is crucial that the fate of these other animals is not forgotten.

According to the New York Times, scientists at Cambridge University released the Cambridge Declaration of Consciousness in 2012, a study that revealed similar brain activity in humans and animals and provided proof that animals do indeed experience emotion comparable to that of humans.

In spite of this finding, China still seems to make recurring headlines regarding the subject of animal cruelty. One of the most well-known and controversial Chinese traditions is the infamous Yulin Dog Meat Festival, which is widely criticized for its horrific practice of the slaughter and consumption of innocent puppies.

What’s even more disturbing is the participants’ belief that the more the animal suffers during slaughter, the more tender and savory the meat will become. This concept is based off of the idea that adrenaline coursing through the body enhances the flavor, a notion that is in no way scientifically accurate. 

Despite protests from the rest of the world to put an end to the festival, it is still an ongoing tradition in Yulin that leads to the brutal murder of around 10,000 canines every year, an article for Forbes Magazine stated.

There isn’t even any legitimate culture behind the dreadful tradition. It is simply an event invented by the town of Yulin in 2010 with the purpose of drumming up some extra money.

Although the lack of justice surrounding this celebration doesn’t provide much faith in humanity, there has been a recent glimmer of hope in the case of Pizza’s imprisonment.

On November 13th, the Grandview Polar Sea World posted a notice on their social media account stating that the bear would be temporarily moving from the exhibit.

“Pizza, the ‘bear baby’ that a million customers have enjoyed, will say a temporary farewell to everyone for a while, to return to where he was born and to his daddy and mommy,” the notice read.

The relocation is a result of the mall’s plan to “optimize and upgrade” the enclosure and double its square footage, according to The Guangzhou Daily. While this is progress from Pizza’s previous living situation, it is certainly not a sufficient solution to the issue and neglects to consider the hundreds of other miserable animals inside of the mall.

In any case, every little victory is a step in the right direction and animal rights advocates will continue to fight for justice for the pitiful animals.