Pizza, named as the world's saddest polar bear, has attracted the attention of up to 500,000 people who have signed a petition calling for its release. Pizza is currently confined in an animal pen at The Grandview Aquarium, a popular tourist destination in Guangzhou.

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Photos and videos have been circulating online showing wave after wave of people crowding around Pizza. Some people can be seen tapping on Pizza's aquarium glass to lure it into moving and posing for the camera. Shanghaiist reported that the flashes of mobile phones and cameras disturb the poor animal.

In March, the first video of pizza was uploaded online. A non-government organizational group called Animals Asia released a footage of the sad-looking polar bear and created a petition to have the animal released by the Guangzhou mall. To date, the petition has received a total of about 520,000 signatories.

This is not the first time that the Guangzhou mall is facing a public backlash. The company was criticized a few months back after using several animals including otters, beluga whales, and walruses for entertainment. The animals were reportedly kept in small and untidy enclosures.

The management of the Guangzhou mall has denied the accusations of Animals Asia. They claim that Pizza seems inactive only because polar bears spend about 33 percent of their time resting and hibernating.

Li Chengdang, The Grandview Aquarium Deputy General Manager, noted that Pizza has been with them since it was two years old and has been healthy ever since.

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