The Fate of Baby Polar Bear Knut

[Allegra]

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!

 

[BookStop]

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.

 

[Dave]

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.

 

[Talysia]

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.

 

[gigantes]

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.

 

[BookStop]

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?

 

[gigantes]

of course not.

 

[PTeppic]

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"...

 

[gigantes]

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".

 

[Dave]

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.

 

[gigantes]

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(!)

 

[Allegra]

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

 

[Dave]

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!

 

[Allegra]

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.

 

[Talysia]

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...

 

[gigantes]

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

 

[The Ace]

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

 

[Talysia]

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!

 

[gigantes]

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.

 

[Allegra]

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