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March 22, 2007
Animal Rights Say "The zoo must kill the bear"
Tiny, fluffy and adorable, Knut the baby polar bear became an animal superstar after he was abandoned by his mother.
He rapidly became the symbol of Berlin Zoo, whose staff bottle-fed him and handed out cuddles in between.
At three months old, however, the playful 19lb bundle of fur is at the centre of an impassioned debate over whether he should live or die.
Animal rights activists argue that he should be given a lethal injection rather than brought up suffering the humiliation of being treated as a domestic pet.
The zoo must kill the bear," said spokesman Frank Albrecht. "Feeding by hand is not species-appropriate but a gross violation of animal protection laws."
When Knut was born in December, his mother ignored him and his brother, who died. Zoo officials intervened, choosing to raise the cub themselves.
But Albrecht and other activists fret that it is inappropriate for a predator, known for its fierceness and ability to fend for itself in the wild, to be snuggled, bottle-fed and made into a commodity by zookeepers.
See YouTube footage of Knut here! (Note: commentary on the video is in German)
UPDATE on Knut
Baby polar bear 'will be spared,' proclaims zoo
Knut the cute Polar bear will NOT be destroyed despite fears over his 'humanisation', Berlin Zoo's chief vet said today.
Distraught schoolchildren waving placards saying ’Knut must live! and ’Knut does good!’ protested at the zoo’s Polar bear enclosure following the news that death might seriously be an option for the star draw of the animal kingdom.
But Knut has been spared. "There will be no executioner coming for him, I guarantee you," said Berlin Zoo chief vet Andre Schuele.
"Those who say he should die have entirely the wrong mindset."
His keeper Thomas Doerflein, Knut’s surrogate mother, gave the little bear a washing up brush as a toy to play with when the news was announced on Tuesday that he is to be spared.
Wild Thing's comment.......
You all know how I adore bears, teddybears too of course. I realize that one has to be careful with animals of the wild not to take their natural instintcs away from them. But these Zoo people have saved this Cub's life. The Cub was abandoned by his mother, and would have died if the Zoo had not done what they did for him.
He is precious and has been given a chance at life and how anything can be wrong with that I will never understand.
Posted by Wild Thing at March 22, 2007 12:47 AM
Comments
I'm glad the zoo didn't give in to the whacko's. I have had the pleasure of visiting a zoo with Polar bears as well as other bear species, along with Wolves, Linx, Bobcat, Cougars and Wolverines. I used to donate the left over game meat and fish from my freezer to the zoo each year and the zoo keepers were always grateful for the help. It's an even greater thrill to see and be amongst them in the wild where I have fortunately seen them all. City dwellers never get to see them unless they are in a zoo and Polar Bears in the wild have only one thing on their mind, you are a potential meal.:)
Posted by: Jack at March 22, 2007 01:22 AM
Sometimes it is the critter that has the better sense. I like animals, but some of the animal-rights people lose the balance between what reality and fantasy.
Posted by: TomR at March 22, 2007 06:20 AM
Where is PETA? Would they stand for an animal protection agency telling someone to kill an animal? Oh wait--they threw puppies into a dumpster.
Poor little Polar Bear--he's soooo cute.
If the mother isn't in the picture, they have to hand feed it. We do that here in the states at our zoos and wildlife facilities and the animals grown up just fine.
PETA--POORLY EDUCATED TRASHY ANNOYANCES.
I'm all for animals rights, but not in the way they take care of it.
The animal isn't sick, wounded, or hurt, so I'm so glad they let it live.
Posted by: Lynn at March 22, 2007 06:24 AM
This just more proof that these Moonbats, have way too much time on their hands.
And are creating a 'throw-away' society.
Posted by: Mark at March 22, 2007 08:11 AM
Lynn,
You asked if PETA would stand for the killing of animals. Go here and you'll get your answer. This trial went on for approx. 10 weeks, but it probably wasn't in your news.
http://www.petakillsanimals.com/
http://www.petakillsanimals.com/petaTrial2.cfm
Don't fall for these phoney murderers. Its just a scam. There stance would be to kill the bear.
Posted by: Dan at March 22, 2007 09:51 AM
Let me be the first to say I'm a charter member
of PETA People eating tasty animals,Damn I can
just taste that bone-in Ribeye now...As for the
bear let him grow up and once a month feed him
a live caught activists...
Posted by: Tincan Sailor at March 22, 2007 12:17 PM
I think the wrong critter was marked for lethal injection...
Glad the zoo isn't caving into the wingnuts.
Posted by: yankeemom at March 22, 2007 01:54 PM
Frau Crusader is from the former 'Master Race' Fatherland and Germans love animals more than our secular NOW feminazis do. With the blood of plus 47 million aborted babies on our consciences, these freaks would snuff out the life of a human fetus - and an 'alive' polar bear cub without hesitance, yet apply SAVE THE WHALE and I BRAKE FOR SQUIRRELS bumper stickers on their LEFT bumpers! They'll starve to death Terri Ann Schiavo
yet grieve for Kentucky race horse champ Barbaro?
Keep the FAITH and JOHN 15:13 patriots.
Posted by: darthcrUSAderworldtour07 at March 22, 2007 03:07 PM
Fanatics! I do not approve of kidnapping wild cubs/kits with moms -- this is an exception, something fanatics do not allow.
We had a golden retriever name Claude, who lived to almost 16 -- long time for a big dog. He and my son Andrew were inseparable from my son's age of three. I had a dream once, around the time that Andrew left for college, that all the old dogs rode in the back seat of cars to see "their boys" off to college. The callow youths pat the dogs on the head and tell them they'll see them in a couple of months. The old dogs know that this isn't so, that they'll be dead. But the pat on the head is enough.
Posted by: OINK at March 22, 2007 07:43 PM
how long before these whack jobs advocate the death of abandoned human babies? or the infirm? or the mentally challenged? oh, wait... i forgot, that was already tried by Herr Shickelgruber, i belive... if you've ever wondered how the Nazi's grew in power so quickly and easily, it was because of people like this.
Posted by: gregor at March 22, 2007 08:07 PM
Jack that is just what they are " whacko's". THat is neat about how you donated your left over game meat and fish to the zoo.
Posted by: Wild Thing at March 22, 2007 11:03 PM
Tom I think so too. TO demand what the were demanding shows lack of reality on their side. The zoo saved this animal from a horrible death of starvation living on it's own.
Posted by: Wild Thing at March 22, 2007 11:04 PM
Lynn, me too I am so glad the zoo stood strong on this situation.
Posted by: Wild Thing at March 22, 2007 11:05 PM
Mark that is just how they think...a throw away society.
Posted by: Wild Thing at March 22, 2007 11:06 PM
Tincan Sailor, hahha that works for me, goodbye activist.
Posted by: Wild Thing at March 22, 2007 11:07 PM
Yankeemom, your right that is just what they are. I am proud of the zoo too.
Posted by: Wild Thing at March 22, 2007 11:08 PM
Darth, exactly, they don't mind killing innocent babies just like the cub bear that wanted dead.
Posted by: Wild Thing at March 22, 2007 11:10 PM
Oink, I always rememebr when I left home to go live on my own after college and how sad I was to leave our family dogs and kitty. My parents used to kid me that I would call up and ask how the animals were all the time.
Posted by: Wild Thing at March 22, 2007 11:13 PM
Gregor, you are absolutely right.
Posted by: Wild Thing at March 22, 2007 11:15 PM
