Knut The Polar Bear Suffered From Brain Disease

8
by Michael dEstries March 22, 2011
Categories: Animals
Tags: .

Early results from a necropsy on Knut, the world famous polar bear who passed away over the weekend, reveal that he was suffering from a brain ailment. The Berlin zoo released a statement with preliminary findings of “significant changes to the brain, which could be seen as the reason for the sudden death”.

Knut perished in front of some 600 spectators after displaying visible signs of distress.  Amateur video of the incident released today shows him repeatedly moving in circles, until finally collapsing in the enclosure pool. At just four years old, he perished well ahead of his expected 15-20 year lifespan.

More details on the exact cause of death are expected soon.

About Michael dEstries

Michael has been blogging since 2005 on issues such as sustainability, renewable energy, philanthropy, and healthy living. He regularly contributes to a slew of publications, as well as consulting with companies looking to make an impact using the web and social media. He lives in Ithaca, NY with his family on an apple farm.

View all posts by Michael dEstries →
  • Michael Raymer

    WARNING: The video linked in the article of Knut’s demise is very upsetting. It sucks to watch it and I’m sorry that I did.

    • http://www.ecorazzi.com Michael dEstries

      I debated linking to it at all – and may have made the wrong decision in the end.

      • Michael Raymer

        No, I think it needs to be shown, but people should be warned. I have pretty robust sensibilities, but I’m sitting here feeling a little shattered right now.

        You might want to add a warning to the article. Samll chidren should definitely not see it.

        I will say that I’ve been changing my mind about zoos over the last few years and now I am completely converted. Shut them all down and watch National Geographic, etc.

    • Deb S

      I agree totally, but Knut will live on in our hearts and memories and we can rejoice that we had him for a while…

  • whitney

    Well, it’s a video of a death of an animal.. of course it’s upsetting. That’s why I reuse to watch it.

  • LittleMe

    Horrible.. I hope that the clip makes zoo supporters think twice about visiting these awful places. He obviously had something quite seriously wrong with him for a while and all his owners were interested in was making as much money as possible from gullible members of the public.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Leena-Lynn/516085139 Leena Lynn

    They exploited him when he was alive and they want to exploit him after his death (they want to display his stuffed body in a museum). They should let him rest in peace.

  • Deanna

    Poor Knut–you can tell he struggled in vain to try to regain control once he was in the water. It must have been terrifying for him. I’ll bet they replace him quickly though with another baby and market his replacement in order to keep revenues flowing in…

« PREVIOUS POST
NEXT POST »