# The Fate of Baby Polar Bear Knut



## Allegra (Mar 20, 2007)

Remember Knut? We have some photos of him under 'Picture of the day' sometime ago (Photo Gallery: More Cute Photos of Knut, the Baby Polar Bear - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News): 







Now some people want to kill him! - BBC NEWS | Europe | Berlin rallies behind baby bear

I didn't know that in zoos animals rejected by their mothers have in the past been killed 'for their own good'. Aren't there any other more humane alternative solutions?! I hope he'll live and have a happy long life!


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## BookStop (Mar 20, 2007)

It's a shame there aren't more organizations that rehabilitate orphaned animals so that they can someday rejoin the wild. Although I don't think most zoos do a proper job of providing natural habitats for the animals, I am hoping this little guy will get a chance.


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## Dave (Mar 20, 2007)

Many animals in _old style_ Zoos had serious mental problems as a result of being caged with insufficient space all their lives and unable to hunt or forage for their own food, or choose a mate in the normal way. They have not been taught to fend for themselves in the wild against natural enemies or others of their own species. That's why they reject their young and have strange phobias and behaviours. I'm not sure how you rehabilitate that.

I realise that modern Zoos are changing, there is conservation work, and that some wild animals would be extinct if not for those bred in Zoos, but I still wonder about the mental health of caged animals, especially the larger ones.


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## Talysia (Mar 20, 2007)

I've been reading about this story on the net and in the papers, and I must say that I was shocked to see what they do to some orphaned animals.  I can understand the logic, but I don't really agree with it.  Maybe I'm too soft.


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## gigantes (Mar 20, 2007)

yea, it's prolly a bad idea for the keeper to maintain such close contact with the bear.  it seems natural and enticing while it's a baby, but is not going to work going forward.  polar bears are so immensely strong that even an accidental swipe of the paw while playing could easily rip the guy's face off or snap his back in two like a twig.

also, as the article states, keeping in close contact with a human is not going to help the bear when it's eventually reintroduced to its kind.  that is going to be one very confused and stressed bear who may get bullied by the other bears.

if you're going to raise a bear like this, best thing is prolly to make it into a circus bear or something like its mother.


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## BookStop (Mar 20, 2007)

gigantes said:


> if you're going to raise a bear like this, best thing is prolly to make it into a circus bear or something like its mother.


 
You are kidding, right?


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## gigantes (Mar 20, 2007)

of course not.


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## PTeppic (Mar 21, 2007)

gigantes said:


> also, as the article states, keeping in close contact with a human is not going to help the bear when it's eventually reintroduced to its kind.  that is going to be one very confused and stressed bear who may get bullied by the other bears.



Can a polar bear ever be reintroduced to the wild after being hand-reared? I'm trying to think what happened to the bear they used to film "Alaska"...


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## gigantes (Mar 21, 2007)

from what i've gathered, the animal would be at an increased risk of starvation or death by other polar bears, particularly right now because global warming has made life for polar bears difficult, ie more fatal confrontations with other bears over dwindling territory.

in addition to the importance of the behavioral experience gained from being around other bears, many predators need to observe a parent 'at work' and to play-fight with their siblings in order to hone their hunting and combat skills.  in other words, having instincts and hunger is not necessarily enough.

there are various tricks and techniques polar bears use to catch seals and penguins, their usual prey IIRC.  if a young bear wasn't able to learn these then it would be at a serious disadvantage in today's world.  these kinds of reasons are why so many animal experts advocated putting the young bear down.

sorry, didn't see "alaska".


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## Dave (Mar 21, 2007)

gigantes said:


> There are various tricks and techniques polar bears use to catch seals and penguins, their usual prey IIRC.


Not Penguins, they live only at the South Pole. Polar bears are confined to the North Pole. But the rest of your argument is sound. It was what I was trying to say earlier, only you have done it better.


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## gigantes (Mar 21, 2007)

ack, i had completely forgotten that. >.<

anyway... thanks, dave!

you know WP has a nice page on polar bears.  i was scanning it, checking out their diet, and it seems that they prey upon belugas and are in turn preyed upon by orcas(!)


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## Allegra (Mar 24, 2007)

Update in the news:
BBC NEWS | Europe | Baby bear becomes media star


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## Dave (Mar 24, 2007)

> Knut has become a media superstar. The polar bear cub has got his own television series and video podcast and he has even been pictured by the celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz for an environmental campaign.
> 
> At the zoo a man was selling soft, cuddly toys of Knut. "With climate change and with all the ice caps melting, he would not have had any chance to survive in the wild," said Gerd Gall. "Knut is much better off here."
> 
> And the cuddly toys have been selling like hot cakes.


Anyone seriously worried about them killing this bear can rest easy. Berlin Zoo has never seen so many visitors!


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## Allegra (Apr 3, 2007)

Yes! The latest update: BBC NEWS | Europe | Bear cub craze thrills Berlin Zoo

'The media frenzy over Knut boosted visitor numbers to 200,000 in March - double the zoo's normal figure. 
The German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung says Knut's popularity has pushed the zoo's shares up 67% since mid-January.'

Look at him playing, soooo adorable! It seems likely he'll stay in the zoo for the rest of his life.  *Sigh* Could be better...but, could be worse.


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## Talysia (Apr 3, 2007)

I'm glad that Knut is continuing to do well, and I'm glad that the zoo is doing so well because of this, but I can't help but have mixed feelings about this. As Allegra said: Could be better, but could be worse...


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## gigantes (Apr 3, 2007)

maybe knut will help spread awareness about the rapidly-approaching precarious state of polar bears in the wild.


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## The Ace (Apr 3, 2007)

Of course polar bears don't eat penguins, they can't get the wrappers off.


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## Talysia (Apr 3, 2007)

Gigantes - very true. It'd be good for something like this to promote awareness of such a cause.

Ace - LOL  An oldie but a goodie!


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## gigantes (Apr 4, 2007)

for some reason that reminds me- i recently saw footage of a polar bear taking out an angry walrus.

pretty impressive... footage is probably on youtube.


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## Allegra (Apr 20, 2007)

O bloody hell, some nuts want to kill our baby Knut! 

*Security was tightened at Berlin Zoo after its celebrity polar bear cub Knut received an anonymous death threat.* BBC NEWS | Europe | Death threat for German bear Knut


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## Talysia (Apr 20, 2007)

I wonder why people do things like this.  It's bad enough when people do it as a joke or a publicity stunt.


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## Allegra (Jun 11, 2007)

New photo of...'baby' Knut :







Report of today:

"Knut Chasing Ducks and Squirrels

Knut, Berlin Zoo's fast-growing star polar bear cub, isn't just biting his keeper, he has also been chasing ducks and squirrels and taking a disturbing interest in some of the zoo's cranes. "(Polar Bear Cub Takes Up Hunting: Knut Chasing Ducks and Squirrels - International - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News )


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## AphroditeMSC (Jun 12, 2007)

Not so much of a baby now!


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## littlemissattitude (Jun 12, 2007)

He's growing up into a proper bear.  That's a good thing, really.  They aren't _supposed_ to stay cuddly, you know.


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## PTeppic (Jun 12, 2007)

Anyone wishing to send death threats now may find that they in fact become death wishes... if the star attraction has any input into defending himself.

And a polar bear will always be cuddly and cute in my book, even if a fully grown, 600kg, head-ripping-off, angry adult male.


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## Marky Lazer (Jun 12, 2007)

Fact of the day: in the wild, after a day hunting, never eat a polar bear's liver.


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## PTeppic (Jun 13, 2007)

Isn't it also true of dog's livers, as some early polar explorers discovered?


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## Allegra (Jul 10, 2007)

Updat again - BBC NEWS | Europe | Berlin zoo ends bear-keeper romps




























Oooo I wish to be his keeper!


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## HardScienceFan (Jul 10, 2007)

does that last pic already show a fear of the paparazzi ?


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## PTeppic (Jul 10, 2007)

Must admit I'd love to know what's just to the right of the camera shot.


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## Talysia (Jul 10, 2007)

I can see why the zoo would be halting the romps between Knut and his keeper, but those pictures are just so cute.


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## Allegra (Jul 10, 2007)

I was wondering about that too - I mean what he didn't want to look at!



PTeppic said:


> And a polar bear will always be cuddly and cute in my book, even if a fully grown, 600kg, head-ripping-off, angry adult male.


 
Same here!


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## Connavar (Jul 10, 2007)

Im glad they wont kill him, i mean they are already so few of his kind.

Now we are gonna kill them to be "humane" whats next......


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## Allegra (Jul 26, 2007)

Celebrity polar bear Knut leaps into the water to cool off at his Berlin Zoo enclosure. (BBC)


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## Talysia (Jul 26, 2007)

Oh, that's a great picture, Allegra!  Looks like Knut's settling into his life well.


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## Allegra (Oct 24, 2007)

Knut's latest from BBC:


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## Talysia (Oct 24, 2007)

What a sweetheart!  It's great to see that he's still doing well.


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## Marky Lazer (Oct 25, 2007)

Let's eat it!


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## Joel007 (Oct 25, 2007)

I think we'll need a bigger rotisserie


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## Allegra (Oct 25, 2007)

Marky Lazer said:


> Let's eat it!


 
Who eats whom?


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## Talysia (Oct 25, 2007)

Good point


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## PTeppic (Feb 1, 2008)

There's a new Knut in town (also in Germany).
Hope this works...
BBC Media Player


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## Ursa major (Feb 1, 2008)

I can only hope that extra Knuts will turn the tide against bear cub killing/abandonment in the Federal Republic.

(Didn't go to the link, just commenting on the (possible) demise of too many bears in Germany).


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## Talysia (Feb 1, 2008)

Yes, I hope so too, Ursa.

And little Flocke is so cute!  I guess I'm just a big softy when it comes to this sort of thing.


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## Allegra (Feb 1, 2008)

Mama mia, what a sweetheart! I wanna abduct her! Thanks for the link PT. And I agree with Ursa. However I remember seeing the news lately Berlin zoo will leave the cubs to die if their mothers abandon them, hope it's not true!


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## Ursa major (Jul 9, 2009)

And the latest news about Knut is...


...Berlin Zoo has paid a transfer fee:



> Berlin Zoo has agreed to pay 430,000 euros (£370,000) to another German zoo in order to keep its celebrity polar bear and star attraction Knut.
> 
> Knut's father came from Neumuenster Zoo, which claims not only legal ownership of Knut but also a slice of the revenue he has generated.
> 
> Berlin Zoo offered Neumuenster 350,000 euros, but the latter sought 700,000 before the settlement was reached.


 
BBC NEWS | Europe | Star bear Knut to stay in Berlin​


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## Allegra (Jul 10, 2009)

Is that Knut's picture? Did someone coloured him? Well, as long as Knut is doing well let the two legged fight for money - that's what they do all the time anyway. 

Sadly, Knut won't get to see his stepfather again, he died last year:
Thomas DÃ¶rflein - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## Ursa major (Mar 19, 2011)

Bad news, I'm afraid:



> Several hundred visitors saw him [Knut] fall in enclosure, but cause of death of four-year-old bear is not yet clear
> 
> Knut, the polar bear raised by Berlin zoo keepers after being rejected by his mother, has collapsed and died unexpectedly in his compound. According to reports, several hundred visitors to the zoo saw him fall. The three other bears that usually shared his enclosure, including his mother Tosca, were not there.


From: Knut, the polar bear raised by Berlin zoo keepers, dies in compound | World news | guardian.co.uk​


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## PTeppic (Mar 20, 2011)

Was sad to see the news. Hope they can work out what was wrong.


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## Allegra (Aug 28, 2015)

Now they seemed to have found the cause finally: http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-34074324
Poor baby.


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## BAYLOR (Aug 30, 2015)

Allegra said:


> Now they seemed to have found the cause finally: http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-34074324
> Poor baby.



Very sad news. 

With the premature melting of the ice packs in the north due to Global warming , I wonder if this species as a whole has any future at all.


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## Allegra (Sep 4, 2015)

BAYLOR said:


> Very sad news.
> 
> With the premature melting of the ice packs in the north due to Global warming , I wonder if this species as a whole has any future at all.



Matter of time... I wonder if any species has much future at all, so to speak.


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## BAYLOR (Sep 6, 2015)

Allegra said:


> Matter of time... I wonder if any species has much future at all, so to speak.



The Sumatran Rhino just recently the extinction club.


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## Ursa major (Sep 6, 2015)

At the risk of sounding insensitive (it's black humour, honest): And yet other animals, Pandas being a good example, are in decline because they're not horny enough....


(Note: I don't think the Sumatran Rhino is extinct; however, this year, it can no longer be found in Malaysia (including Sabah) in the wild.)


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