With all of the usual compassion typical of the liberal crowd, an animal rights activist has called for this cute, fluffy, motherless bear cub to be put to death rather than suffer the humiliation of being raised by humans:
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.
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.
"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."
Well, don't look for logic from animal rights activists and liberals. That your mistake right there, Mr. Schuele.
There is so much to be learned from this story. First, it shows just what so-called animal rights' activists are all about: self-loathing. They hate mankind and anything to do with mankind. It's not about the animals.
ReplyDeleteSecond, it shows just how compassionate mankind can be. They could have easily let the animal die or put it to sleep, but instead, they take care of it, love it, treat it...humanely. There's a reason the root of that word is "human."