Ricky Gervais joins fight to free caged bear that became attraction at US ice cream shop
British actor Ricky Gervais has joined the fight to free a female bear that has been an attraction at an ice cream shop in the US.
The 53-year-old comedian urged his Facebook followers to sign a petition seeking Little Ricki's release into a wildlife sanctuary.
The bear has been caged outside a shop near Hallam in central Pennsylvania for nearly two decades.
Sharing the petition online, Gervais wrote: "This is heartbreaking. Please sign & share the petition to help free Ricky the bear".
Four local residents and the nonprofit Animal Legal Defence Fund sued last week for the animal's release. They say the enclosure, with a fenced-in concrete pad and large shed, is inadequate.
Shop owner James McDaniel Jr told the York Daily Record that the outcry has pushed him toward letting Little Ricki go.
More than 80,000 people have signed the petition. Gervais' post has been liked and shared more than 20,000 times.
