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Flocke the German Polar Bear Cub Faces Uncertain Future
by
findingDulcinea Staff
Concerned groups argue the hand-reared Flocke will develop an unhealthy dependency. Celebrity bear cub Knut has, some say, grown into a disturbed adult.
30-Second Summary
Flocke, which means “flake” or “snowflake” in German, was rejected by her mother and is being raised by zookeepers.
Her story is drawing comparisons to Knut, another polar bear cub abandoned by its mother. Knut drew worldwide media attention after debuting at the Berlin Zoo. He even appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair.
Both cubs have their own Web sites, and Flocke has already been appointed a lawyer “to protect her interests,” according to British newspaper The Guardian.
According to another U.K. paper, the Independent, German Zoologist Peter Arras said Knut had grown into a “psychopath” and “a problem bear who has become addicted to human beings.” Some scientists fear that Flocke will meet the same fate.
Flocke’s media debut has also called attention to the debate over global warming, the threat to polar bears’ sea ice habitat and the pending decision over whether the United States should list polar bears as “threatened.”
According to the New York Times, a year-long study to determine whether polar bears should be protected under the Endangered Species Act found that two-thirds of the polar bear population will be gone by 2050 as a result of global warming.
A decision is expected before early summer, according to CBC.
Her story is drawing comparisons to Knut, another polar bear cub abandoned by its mother. Knut drew worldwide media attention after debuting at the Berlin Zoo. He even appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair.
Both cubs have their own Web sites, and Flocke has already been appointed a lawyer “to protect her interests,” according to British newspaper The Guardian.
According to another U.K. paper, the Independent, German Zoologist Peter Arras said Knut had grown into a “psychopath” and “a problem bear who has become addicted to human beings.” Some scientists fear that Flocke will meet the same fate.
Flocke’s media debut has also called attention to the debate over global warming, the threat to polar bears’ sea ice habitat and the pending decision over whether the United States should list polar bears as “threatened.”
According to the New York Times, a year-long study to determine whether polar bears should be protected under the Endangered Species Act found that two-thirds of the polar bear population will be gone by 2050 as a result of global warming.
A decision is expected before early summer, according to CBC.
Headline Links: Flocke
German polar bear Flocke made her first appearance on camera on April 9, at the Nuremburg Zoo. Animal rights activist Jürgen Ortmüller and German lawyer Ralf Bossi are challenging the Nuremburg Zoo in court, claiming violation of Germany’s animal protection laws regarding animals in captivity, and rejecting the Zoo’s claim that Flocke would help draw attention to the threat of global warming. “Berlin Zoo has got €5 from Knut and this will be the same with Flocke. It’s only about money,” said Ortmüller.
Source: The Guardian
Prior to her first public appearance, Flocke, which means “flake” or “snowflake” in German, is caught on video taking a dip in a pool at Nuremburg Zoo. A line of Flocke merchandise is planned by the Zoo.
Source: Reuters
Background: Knut, the cuddly bear turned 'psychopath'
In January, German Zoologist Peter Arras referred to Knut as a “psychopath” and “a problem bear who has become addicted to human beings.” German animal rights activist Frank Albrecht argued against human intervention for saving Zoo animals, claiming that the animals “become so dependent on man that they end up divorced from nature and turn into hyperactive, disturbed freaks.”
Source: Independent
According to U.K. newspaper The Daily Mail, animal rights activists pleaded for Knut “to be put down rather than be raised by humans.” Now, experts claim that the 13-month-old bear shows signs of mental illness and dependency on human attention, even beckoning photographers to take his picture and hugging trees for comfort when humans are not nearby. Jürgen Ortmüller, of the Whale, Bear and Dolphin Protection Forum, fears that Flocke will follow suit. “Knut is a psychopath and there is every danger that Flocke will be one too,” Ortmüller said.
Source: The Daily Mail
Related Links: Controversial marketing and humanizing of polar bears
According to Time magazine, “Polar bears often eat their cubs if they believe they are ill.” In January, two polar bear cubs at the Nuremburg Zoo “were presumably eaten by their inexperienced mother, Vilma, after Zookeepers decided not to intervene.” Zookeepers later rescued a third cub after its mother Vera was dismissive toward her offspring. The practice remains controversial.
Source: Time
Before the public saw Flocke, USA Today reported that several manufacturers already had plans to release Flocke toys, with a percentage of profits going to the Nuremburg Zoo. Toys planned included stuffed animals, games and jigsaw puzzles featuring the official Flocke logo, which depicts a polar bear sitting in a flower.
Source: USA Today
Flocke’s very own official Web site has photos, feature articles, information on protecting polar bears and visitor information for the Nuremburg Zoo.
Source: Numberg Online
Related Topics: The decision to list polar bears as 'threatened'
There is evidence that although the Alaskan polar bear population is stable, the bears' hunting grounds are shrinking. Activists are pressing for the bears to be listed as “threatened,” but some scientists say the conflict is more about the politics of global warming than the animals themselves.
Source: findingDulcinea
The New York Times reported on the United States Geological Survey’s year-long study to determine whether polar bears should be protected under the Endangered Species Act. Scientists found that two-thirds of the polar bear population will be gone by 2050 as a result of global warming.
Source: New York Times
On April 4, the Senate Environment Committee examined why the decision on whether to list polar bears as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act has been delayed; the original deadline for the decision was Jan. 9. Hunting organizations argued against the listing, claiming that it could threaten the American sport hunting industry in Canada’s north. Conservation groups have been lobbying for polar bears to be recognized as “threatened” for more than three years, because many scientists say that global warming threatens their sea ice habitat. A decision is expected “before early summer,” and an investigation into the delay is ongoing.
Source: CBC
Opinion & analysis: The global warming debate
An editorial column in the Seattle Times said that an endangered listing for polar bears “is warranted, and has value for conservation both as a symbol of the urgent need for action on climate-change issues and as a means of providing potential protection for the species.”
Source: Seattle Times
The Heritage Foundation published an editorial by Ben Lieberman that called for the U.S. Department of the Interior not to list polar bears as endangered or threatened for fear that it could harm the economy. “Such a move would raise energy prices by putting an end to promising new oil and natural gas production in Alaska. Even more troubling, listing the polar bear could be used as a back door to implement global warming policy nationwide,” said Lieberman.
Source: The Heritage Foundation
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