Polar bear controversy

[jenbobblehead]

I just saw a piece on the evening news about the polar bear Knut, from Germany who was shunned by his mother and is now being raised in a zoo environment by humans (as much as humans can raise a polar bear.) Now animal rights activists say that the bear should have just died, that he wont' have a natural life now. I guess the bear gets so many visitors at the zoo that he's brought in over 6 million EU and when he goes outside and doesn't see lots of spectators, he is actually disappointed and cries. So the animal rights people are now saying "see! i told you so."

 

Who are they kidding? He was an animal born in captivity, destined to live his entire life in an artificial environment. What kind of normal life was he going to have? So what if he's friendly? and so what if he doesn't lead a normal life in a zoo? Its not like they were going to release him into the wild! Maybe he won't ever mate but who cares?

 

I am a big animal rights person, but i think that's just batshit crazy. who is with me?

[bjorn_skurj]

Polar bears cry?

[jenbobblehead]

Polar bears cry?

yes. i guess the whine when there's no one to pay attention to them.

[radiokills]

i'm lost.

 

a. what is this polar bear doing in Germany?

b. what does it mean he was shunned by his mother?

c. how did the zoo get their hands on said polar bear?

d. polar bears can actually cry?

 

and yes, despite my complete disillusionment, im with you.

[bjorn_skurj]

yes. i guess the whine when there's no one to pay attention to them.

Aww. That makes me kind of sad. I am going to go to Germany now and see that bear every day so he will never cry again.

[Duck-Billed Catechist]

This "controversy" was resolved a long time ago to most everyone's satisfaction, I think. Not sure why it's being raised again. I guess 'cause he's crying. Oh well.

[stooka]

Please, Don't Kill Me!

[yermom]

Awwwwww. That's a cute polar bear.

I always feel a little iffy when I visit the zoo and wonder if the animals are really happy there. I cry when the penguin in "Happy Feet" is trying to tell all the humans on the other side of the glass that they are screwing up his food chain. Once, a gorilla at the zoo charged the plexiglass and smacked it while giving me am angry look. It made me feel like a jerk for standing there staring at him and his friends.

[radiokills]

here come the AWWWWWs

[yermom]

here come the AWWWWWs

[stooka]

Even Stephen Colbert would save this little critter.

[radiokills]

is stephen colbert known for killing cute animals

[stooka]

No, but his schtick is that he "hates" bears.

[radiokills]

panda bears are rad.

[gogo]

Awwwwww. That's a cute polar bear.

If you want to see insane amounts of cute, do a google image search for "baby knut". Damn.

 

[stooka]

It's insane how many there are.

[aricandover]

Knut rules. Anyone saying he should have been left to die, is an asshole.

[Lammycat]

When I was little we had sheep (among many other animals). Every now and then, the ewe would ignore one of the lambs for whatever reason.

 

Speculation was that human hands had touched the lamb(s) too early and it pissed the ewe off. Whether this is true or not I don't know, but the mother would not allow the lamb to nurse and would physically push it away and basically ostracize it from the other lambs.

 

We'd always end up bottle-feeding the lambs and putting in extra time with them in order to help them along. Sometimes, these young sheep neglected by their mother would die regardless of our efforts. Often, though, they'd eventually become accepted in the group after aging a bit and being able to care for themselves.

 

My point is that I would think the polar beer should be able to adjust and live a normal (albeit in captivity) life. Though sheep and polar bears are about as similar as ice cream and Tabasco sauce.

[cryptique]

I'm not sure that particular zoo is going to be the best place for him to live out his life, but I haven't been there, so I don't know.

 

The people who said he just should have died are fucking idiots. I understand, kind of, where they're coming from -- a lot of (most?) captive animals really do suffer, even if their keepers have the best intentions -- but to automatically assume that Knut would be better off dead is just stupid.

 

That said, I hope that zoo keeps him in a habitat that's big enough for him to get some real exercise, and simulates his natural habitat to the highest degree possible. There are far too many animals in zoos around the world living on concrete and in tiny enclosures, which can lead directly to injury and early death. It is abuse, plain and simple. Elephants are a prime example of this -- too much time on improper surfaces induces osteomyelitis (among other maladies), which is a major killer of captive elephants.

[Sweet Papa Crimbo]

Please, Don't Kill Me!

 

 

[Reni]

for the record: I looooove Knut!!

 

[Doug C]

Batshit crazy fucks*, like the let Knut die gang, give people with a sincere concern for the environment in general and animals specifically, a bad name.

 

*Much credit to jenbobblehead for my new favorite descriptive phrase for morons that annoy me.

[tugmoose]

Yeah, and Hitler loved his dogs.

 

I wasn't shunned by my mother, but I was raised in an artificial environment (New Jersey).

[bjorn_skurj]

They have polar bears at the Albuquerque Zoo. I was like, "Damn, you dudes are in the wrong place."

[Synthesizer Patel]

i think baby knut should have been forced to fight a baby grizzly bear, and then if he won that i'd have spared him his life. i think that's a reasonable compromise.

 

for the record: I looooove Knut!!

 

How are you pronouncing that? (sorry)