Berlin zoo: Beloved polar bear Knut has died

[onehandle]

Source: AP



BERLIN – Berlin's beloved polar bear Knut, who rose to international stardom as a cuddly cub hand-raised by zookeepers, died suddenly on Saturday, a zoo official said.

The world-famous bear died alone in his compound without warning, bear keeper Heiner Kloes told The Associated Press.

"It was a completely normal day: He was with the female bears before, who had just been shut away," Kloes said. "Then, Knut strolled around the enclosure, went into the water, had a short spasm and died."

A post mortem will be conducted on Monday to try to pinpoint the cause of death, he said.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110319/ap_on_re_eu/eu_germany_knut_death

[DURHAM D]

1. ooooh

[wisteria]

2. Oh no. I am so sad to hear this news. n/t

[Faygo Kid]

3. Sorry to hear this; it was a sweet story.

Just four. So long, Knut. Thanks.

[Judi Lynn]

6. Thank you for posting that photo. Never saw it until today. He was so loved. n/t

[Faygo Kid]

8. Ironically, the man who raised him - Thomas Dörflein - died of a heart attack 2 years ago at 44.

And Knut died at 4. Doesn't mean anything, but just hit me as ironic. They both left us too young.

[SkyDaddy7]

4. This is really sad...But prepare yourself for...

Rush Limbaugh & the Right Wing Media to be making fun of this! Back when Knut was a cub they were being evil so I am sure they are going to do everything they can to make people mad over this sad event! Hell, they did it to Japan why not a polar bear...They are simply evil people & that is not hyperbolic at all!

[Politicalboi]

5. The story said

He was rejected by his mother. Maybe she knew and that is why she rejected him. Nature knows best. But then again I'm sure the vets there could tell if he was healthy. Anyway a real sad story.

[24601]

27. She threw him out when he asked for Baby Seal on Rice. n/t

[La Lioness Priyanka]

35. females bred in captivity dont often know how to raise cubs

its not a foresight issue

[glinda]

7. *sob*

:cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

[radhika]

9. "tear" Baby Knut brought me such joy to watch online n/t

[girl gone mad]

10. Didn't his mother abandon him?

I wonder if she had some instinctive knowledge of a health issue that meant spending resources on him would be a waste of her energy, even though he seemed perfectly healthy to the handlers.

Don't get me wrong, I'm happy they gave him care and he got to live out the time he did. Maybe the mother did know best in this case, and had she been living in the wild, the choice she made would have been the correct one.

[LisaL]

18. Considering he lived for four years and appeared perfectly healthy

I very much doubt it.

[Auntie Bush]

25. I as shocked and saddened to hear this.

Knut was such a sensation and I fell in love with him as many others did. :cry:
It's been such a sad week of news!

[alp227]

11. Gaddafi's fault? n/t

[Bigmack]

24. Nope.... Bush's fault. Born in 2007... Dumbya jinxed him. nt

[Healthy Appetite]

12. Odd

The strange part is that I always wondered if Knut's mother rejected the cub because of some genetic defect. Obviously I am not a vet or geneticist, but animals routinely reject their offspring. To see Knut pass at such a young age is both sad and curious.

[Judi Lynn]

15. Earlier this afternoon I saw this article written near his 1st birthday, regarding his beginning:

~snip~
Knut became a national celebrity overnight after reports about how his mother, Tosca, a traumatised circus bear from East Germany, rejected him at birth. His brother died four days after the pair were born on December 5 2006, and Knut was fished from his mother's enclosure in an angler's net. He was fed 12 times a day by his keeper, Thomas Dörflein, who massaged him with baby oil and sang Elvis Presley songs to help him sleep.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/dec/05/germany.conservation?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487

[freshwest]

20. Thanx for the info. Sounds more like psych problems from mom's abuse than anything wrong with him.

Even Darwin said animals have emotional responses, for those who think it's all instinct and logic.

[LisaL]

19. His mother was a circus bear, and I think it is much more likely

that her maternal instincts were messed up, than she somehow figured out he is going to die four years later.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

36. yeah. this thread makes me sad about the lack of scientific thought

[glinda]

23. I have a former feral cat and her two kittens (7 yrs.now) and they have heart defects yet

she took care of them and the whole litter which turned out all to have heart defects.

[wordpix]

30. what were they feeding him? Maybe he couldn't take the contaminants

RIP, Knut

[DarthDem]

13. Oh, How Sad

Such an adorable little guy. :( RIP to Knut and his caretaker as well.

[Judi Lynn]

17. Didn't know that kind man was gone until today. What a shame.

He put everything into being the perfect guardian to the little sojourner.

http://wizbangpop.com.nyud.net:8090/images/2008/09/knuts_keeper_thomas_doerflein/0102083432300lg1.jpg

[Maru Kitteh]

14. Oh noooo. Poor baby :-(

[zen_bohemian]

16. ohh noo! Poor little fella, I love Knut

rip ;( O8) :cry:

[Redford]

21. so sad

He was so adorable

[InvisibleTouch]

22. That is sad news I didn't want to see today. :(

I followed his story with quite a bit of interest. Oddly enough I was just earlier today brushing the dust off the plush toy Knut that I got on eBay Germany a few years back, and was wondering how he was doing. All the care that went into saving and raising him was absolutely worth it, because he had four wonderful, happy years, and brought lots of good publicity to the zoo which also served to help other animals. He will be long remembered and greatly missed.

[RSillsbee]

26. And it's off to the taxidermist NT

[Joanie Baloney]

28. Was that necessary?

[RSillsbee]

33. Wanna make book on whether I'm right? NT

[tabasco]

29. It is a certainty that our future

will see the only remaining polar bears in zoos.

Man will pay for his ruination of the biosphere.

We have overpopulated the planet, like rats, and ruined the land, seas and sky.

[wordpix]

31. +1

[RSillsbee]

34. Save the planet kill your self NT

[Green_Lantern]

32. we had a polar bear suddenly die at our zoo..turns out that..

Some idiot threw a plastic bag into the enclosure and the bear choked. What a waste for such an amazing creature.