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September 10, 2010
Let’s keep our paws off Knut’s balls
Published: 3 Mar 10 12:54 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/opinion/20100303-25641.html
Castrate Knut? Overzealous animal rights activists need to keep their paws off Berlin’s beloved polar bear, argues Bernd Matthies from Der Tagesspiegel.
- Castrate Knut, say animal rights activists - Society (3 Mar 10)
That is, if it weren’t for the killjoys at Peta. This week the animal rights group claimed that Knut and his lady Giovanna shared the same grandfather – which could lead to detrimental inbreeding should the two decide to start a family. The solution? Castrate Knut!
Perhaps not. First of all, the demand to snip Berlin’s favourite furry son is coming from an organisation known for its hunger for publicity. Peta would sell its own grandmother to create a few choice headlines – if you known what I mean.
Besides, what kind of signal does it send if Berlin neutered a city institution known around the globe? And let’s not mention the whole panda baby bust at the Berlin Zoo, shall we? If anything, the still extremely broke German capital could use another baby polar bear or two to keep the tourists happy.
So let’s keep our paws off Knut’s balls.
This commentary was published with the kind permission of Berlin newspaper Der Tagesspiegel, where it originally appeared in German. Translation by The Local.
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Your comments about this article:
Hands off Knut's (K)nuts!
March 3, 09:16
Castrate Knut, say animal rights activists
March 3, 13:47
Let's keep our paws off Knut's balls
Leave the bears alone.
One question - do the interfering little busybodies from PETA require that the polar bears that live in the wild do a background check on their prospective mates before procreating?
1) Bears are not people and first generation in breeding might not be detrimental.
2) The white bears imo are endangered anyhow.
3) get him another girlfriend who is not of his line. If you cant find another one this means as in number 2 that they are an endangered species.
4) Human rights activists - I am with you 1001% as regards experimentation on animals, but this is not experimentation. Let the bear live what it was created for and if one of the cubs is a little not right, take care of the cub, just as human beings when they are not exactly right are also taken care of. Dnt do genetic cleansing to this animal. You are thinking like people, not like an innocent young white bear .....
Liora
Funny how the publicity stunt encourages an action which PETA, under other circumstances, would label as cruelty.