Debate about what caused the death of Knut - our world famous bear!
April 3rd 2011 20:00
Following the death of the world famous 4-year-old polar bear Knut at the Berlin Zoo in March, the resulting necropsy has revealed that the bear died from drowning related to brain swelling -- or maybe not. According to Forbes, a pathologist who studied Knut's necropsy data concluded that Knut drowned following a collapse due swelling in his brain caused by encephalitis. But, according to the Australian news outlet 9 News, other experts have concluded from a CAT scan conducted on Knut's brain that the bear suffered from epilepsy, and had an epileptic seizure before drowning in front of a crowd of 600 on March 20. Both encephalitis or an epileptic seizure could cause the muscle spasms seen by the crowd just before Knut fell into his pool and drowned. Meanwhile, The Telegraph reports that plans to mount Knut and put him on display in the Berlin Museum are being strongly opposed by animal rights activists and friends of Knut. They accuse the zoo of trying to cash in on Knut even after his death. Read a bit more here. Knut shot to worldwide fame after his mother rejected him after birth and he was raised by keepers at the zoo, including one who slept in Knut's enclosure during the bear's infancy in order to feed him every two hours. Knut was even featured in a photo shoot with Leonardo DiCaprio for the cover of Vanity Fair.
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Comment by elena l