'We want this baby polar bear dead' say animal rights lobby By ALLAN HALL
Last updated at 22:08pm on 19th March 2007
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
When Knut was born last December his mother ignored him, zoo officials intervened and chose to raise him themselves
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.
Activists argue that it is inappropriate for a predator, known for its fierceness and ability to fend for itself in the wild, to be snuggled
"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.
They argue that current treatment of the cub is inhumane and could cause him future difficulties interacting with fellow polar bears. "They cannot domesticate a wild animal," added Ruediger Schmiedel, head of the Foundation for Bears.
The charity cites a similar case of a baby sloth which was put to sleep after being abandoned by its mother last December in the Leipzig city zoo.
But Berlin Zoo holds different opinions. Its chief vet Andre Schuele says the activists' criticisms would make him angry if he could take them seriously. "Polar bears live alone in the wild. I see no logical reason why this bear should be killed."
Schuele also argued that given the increased rarity of wild polar bears, it makes sense to keep them alive in captivity so that they can be bred. "Polar bears are under threat of extinction, and if we feed the bear with a bottle, it has a good chance of growing up and perhaps becoming attractive as a stud for other zoos," he said.
Knut, who recently made the official A-list when he was pictured by celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz for an environmental protection campaign, is scheduled to make his public debut at the zoo in the next few days.
Last edited by RugbyD on Tue Mar 20, 2007 12:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"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."
Kill it? Why? Why not advocate that they modify their methods of raising the bear and then release it back to the wild? Killing it seems like the LAST thing they would do, kind of like Halliburton advocating the banning of oil as a fuel source.
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.
Agreed. Polar bears can be downright cruel with their insults, so this little guy will never have a moment of peace without the other polar bears picking on him. Best to kill him.
Yes doctor, I am sick. Sick of those who are spineless. Sick of those who feel self-entitled. Sick of those who are hypocrites. Yes doctor, an army is forming. Yes doctor, there will be a war. Yes doctor, there will be blood.....
Penn & Teller said that PETA kills more animals in a year than the government run pounds. Assuming that's accurate that's all the evidence you need to know these people are kooks.
Great point, Pogo.
Maine has a good swing for a pitcher but on anything that moves, he has no chance. And if it's a fastball, it has to be up in the zone. Basically, the pitcher has to hit his bat. - Mike Pelfrey
Amazinz wrote:Penn & Teller said that PETA kills more animals in a year than the government run pounds. Assuming that's accurate that's all the evidence you need to know these people are kooks.
Great point, Pogo.
A few points:
PETA is way way way out there
You believe Penn & Teller? Ok
As someone who has taken environmental ethics there is a big faction of people who believe animals introduced to environments they are not originally native to, ferel animals, should be killed with no questions.
However, this bear is not being introduced into an eco system that will change due to his presence.
For example introducing a goat to an island that has a rare plant may cause the plant to become extinct due to the goats prescence.
However, a Polar Bear in a zoo is not the same.
On the other hand many animals in zoo's/circus's show extreme signs of depression due to being stuck in a unnatural place. Most of these animals are animals that exhibit either a high intelligence level, ie. monkeys, dolphins, whales, or animals that need to have socialization or a large area of land to live.
I'm no polar bear expert but I believe they are loaner animals. They don't live in heards. They do wander a large portion of land and they are also extremely predatory. They actively stalk humans as food for example.
Now I'm always for the rights of the animal to live. So I'm gonna say that this is stupid of PETA but I'm not going to discount that the fact that this animal may live a really crappy life. Or he may not
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by RugbyD » Tue Mar 20, 2007 12:04 pm 
That's weird, really weird
