Ricky Gervais joins fight to free Little Ricki, bear caged outside Pennsylvania ice cream shop

HALLAM, Pa. – Ricky Gervais has joined the fight to free a female bear that’s been an attraction at a central Pennsylvania ice cream shop for nearly two decades.

The actor and creator of “The Office” encouraged Facebook followers to sign a petition seeking Little Ricki’s release into a wildlife sanctuary. Gervais says having Ricki caged outside the shop near Hallam is heartbreaking.

Four local residents and the non-profit 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. tells the York Daily Record (http://bit.ly/1BlsIMx) that the outcry has pushed him toward letting Ricki go.

More than 80,000 people have signed the petition. Gervais’ post has been liked and shared more than 20,000 times.

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