Knut is a psychopath and will never mate, say experts January 25, 2008 Jill Awwww. I don’t believe it. He is far too cute.
Wait, what the hell do they do to the poor animals in European zoos? The debate has grown following the birth of three polar bear cubs at Nuremberg Zoo to two different female bears. A team of highly experienced zoologists initially argued that nature must be allowed to take its course. They allowed one of the females, which had rejected its two cubs, to kill and eat her offspring because they were too weak to survive. WTF? I’m pretty sure the San Diego Zoo wouldn’t let one of their animals eat its young if they could prevent it. If those are the kinds of standard procedures they have in European zoos, I can kinda see the animal rights problem.
Why do I think that neither of the “experts” quoted in the article have ever seen Knut up-close? (Scare quotes because one “expert” is an animal-rights activist, and IIRC is the same guy who wanted Knut killed in infancy rather than raised by humans. As if the horse weren’t already out of the barn on that one, what with his having been born in a damn zoo to a “disturbed circus bear.”) The one guy is a zoologist, but his area of specialization is not given. Methinks it’s not necessarily polar bear behavior.
more proof that bears are godless killing machines! but he’s soooooooo cute! i can’t stop loving him!!!
A polar bear is psychopathic? What’s next, a Catholic pope? “Of course Knut will mate … the girls always go for mean guys and it’s the nice guys that finish last” – Nice Guy(TM) whine * I’m pretty sure the San Diego Zoo wouldn’t let one of their animals eat its young if they could prevent it. If those are the kinds of standard procedures they have in European zoos, I can kinda see the animal rights problem. – Mnemosyne I dunno. Considering that the natural course of things is that some animals eat their young, is it maybe an animal rights issue to prevent that?
DAS: I dunno. Considering that the natural course of things is that some animals eat their young, is it maybe an animal rights issue to prevent that? :-p If that’s the case, they should keep the lions in the gazelle pens — after all, the gazelles are used to be chased in the wild, and the lions are used to hunting them, so it’s cruel and unnatural to keep them apart! Rachel: Isn’t psychopathy an awfully human concept to foist on a non-human-type bear? But you see, humans are animals like other animals, so anything that humans feel is also felt in the exact same way by other animals, so if you think that being raised by a different species would make you into a psychopath, then clearly Knut will turn into psychopath. Because humans = bears.
“Considering that the natural course of things is that some animals eat their young, is it maybe an animal rights issue to prevent that?” That’s kind of like arguing against treating a disease that crops up in a zoo animal provided it occurs in the wild, too.* Unless the mothers savaging, neglecting, or feeding on their young are being so prolific in comparison to their fellows that you’re concerned about the future captive populace having a high incidence of maternal failure–which is unlikely, given the number of factors that influence that behavior–it’s not really problematic to prevent animals from eating their young. The only exceptions I can really think of are if the neonate has a fatal defect or the mother isn’t producing enough milk and you have no intention of providing either euthanasia or remedial care. *Hopefully nobody’s going to actually argue this.
Wait, what the hell do they do to the poor animals in European zoos? I wasn’t aware that Germany was the same, as, say Sweden, or Sweden the same as Greece. Which they aren’t. Europe isn’t a country (or one country), damnit, whatever topic that happens to be discussed… I don’t think the audience-interaction Knut has lived with is/has been particularily good for him, though.
Meanwhile, Knut faces an uncertain and lonely future. The German media like to think Flocke holds the key to his salvation and that she will eventually become his mate. But for most zoologists the idea is pure fantasy. “Knut won’t manage anything with a female bear, I guarantee that,” insisted Dr Arras. They are making gender judgments on little Knut already! I say, let the bear decide for himself! 🙂 (Just so adorable!)
Wait, what the hell do they do to the poor animals in European zoos? Not only isn’t Europe more than one, different german zoos also have different policies. And by the way, Vilma didn’t eat her babies in public, but in the cave.