Polar bear dubbed 'world's saddest animal' battling 40C heat in Argentine zoo

A polar bear living in the sweltering heat of an Argentinian zoo is reportedly showing signs of insanity.

Animal campaigners around the world are worried about Arturo, dubbed the 'world's saddest animal', after he was seen looking lonely and depressed in Mendoza Zoo, where temperatures can reach 40C.

The Sunday People reports that Arturo became depressed after his long-term friend Pelusa died two years ago.

His abnormal behaviour has been seen by tourists who have uploaded videos of him rocking from side to side and suffering in the heat.

Campaigners are worried he has mental health issues and are calling for the 29-year-old to be moved to cooler conditions.

According to the Daily Mail, Greenpeace has received 160,000 signatures in a campaign to transfer Arturo urgently to Canada.

Change.org now has 37,000 signatures. The campaign calls for Arturo to be given a better life in the Assiniboine Park Zoo, Canada.

Singer Cher has also expressed her concern and anger tweeting: "Don't cry for him, Argentina? No tears of Mrs Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner for tortured polar bear Arturo. Your hands are stained with his blood when he dies."

Mendoza Zoo says his health is too fragile to survive the two-day trip to Canada, the Independent reports.

But Ecologists United movement member Gabriel Flores, told Fox News Latino "the evaluation they did was visual, without touching him, observing him from a distance.

"They only checked how he walks, how he eats, how he swims. It was a halfway fake evaluation that doesn't convince us at all," he said.

Polar bears are classified as a vulnerable species and their numbers are declining, with climate change their biggest threat. They overheat at temperatures above 10C.

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