Ananova reports that Ewan McGregor has sent a letter to US Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton on behalf of PETA. He is pushing for the US to release several polar bears from a circus:

In the letter to Ms Norton, he said he was "appalled" the animals had been forced to live in "deplorable conditions" at the circus. He said he believed the US Fish and Wildlife Service should confiscate the bears, which are travelling with a Mexican-based circus.

Peta says the circus was recently charged with cruelty to animals by Puerto Rico's department of natural resources, which found during an inspection that the bears were living in dirty cages without water.

The letter read: "As a willing performer who was fortunate to host a documentary on polar bears, I find it appalling that such intelligent animals are forced to live in deplorable conditions.

"Polar bears are intelligent animals who are specially adapted to freezing weather conditions. To imagine their current plight with a tropical circus, layer on your heaviest winter clothing and spend all day outside on a hot, steamy day."

He went on: "I have every confidence that this abysmal mistreatment of the great white bears is in violation of federal laws and that you will make the humane, responsible decision to remove them from a situation that causes them great suffering."

Visit the link above for more details. Thanks to Best of Ewan for the alert!