Iconic actor Cloris Leachman has sent the owner of Pymatuning Deer Park a letter urging her to allow PETA to arrange for the transfer of a 23-year-old bear named Bosco to a reputable sanctuary, noting that he’s showing signs of arthritis — which the 92-year-old herself suffers from — and that the barren concrete pit in which he’s currently forced to live only exacerbates the painful condition.
“Anyone who suffers from arthritis and other degenerative joint diseases knows how every move can be excruciating,” writes Leachman. “I can personally attest to the pain that these conditions cause and can only imagine how life on concrete would be especially miserable. . . . Please, do the right thing for Bosco. Let him live his remaining days in a natural environment, and close the bear pit for good.”
PETA and its expert partners have a long history of safely transporting geriatric bears — including those as old as 30 — to reputable sanctuaries. Bosco would be evaluated by a qualified veterinarian prior to his transport, and a move to a reputable sanctuary is likely his only chance at appropriate care and a habitat that will help to relieve, rather than exacerbate, his symptoms.
