Sum 41 Demands the Return of Polar Bears Captured in Canada


Sum 41 is not a band that likes to sit around while others suffer. That’s why Deryck, Steve, Dave, and Jay wrote a letter to Manitoban Minister of Conservation Oscar Lathlin after learning that three Canadian polar bears had been captured and were enduring miserable living conditions in the Suarez Bros. Circus.

“It is heartbreaking to see these beautiful bears, regarded in Canada as a national treasure, belittled and mistreated by the operators of a traveling show, who seek only to profit from their misery,” wrote the band.
They went on to demand the release of the bears, who were captured in 1985 in Western Hudson Bay, Manitoba. The bears, Kenneth, Barle, and Royal, were forced to endure dangerous situations, such as being abandoned in a parking lot for 36 hours without food or water.

Sum 41’s efforts paid off. Kenneth, Barle, and Royal were released on November 19, 2002, which just goes to show you that something as simple as writing a letter can make all the difference for animals. Want to find out how you can help the animals, too—and earn free stuff in the process? Sign up for the PETA2 Street Team, and you’ll be well on your way. And don’t forget to pick up Sum 41’s new album, Chuck, at a record store near you.