SakshiAnother Shock For The World
Dörflein death was succeeded by Knut in 2011. Just like his surrogate mother, the global celebrity died in a mysterious way. It happened in March 2011, Knut suddenly fell backward and died. According to the witnesses, he shook a bit before dying. His death had been witnessed by 600 to 700 visitors. At that time nobody could find out the reason behind the death of four-year-old. It was so sudden and shocking. The reason behind his death was equally shocking.
Probable Reasons
Many assumptions regarding his death were made. One of them was made on 22 March that stated “significant changes in the brain, which may be regarded as a reason for the sudden death.”
Controversy
His death raked lots of controversy and troubles for the zoo. The zoo found itself in a lurch when an organization named Animal welfare organizations in Germany held the zoo responsible for the death of Knut. The organization said that it was due to zoo’s ignorance that Knut had to give up on his life. According to them, the bear died of the pressure that he underwent after having to share his enclosure with three female polar bears. Heiner Klöes, the bear curator defended the zoo by stating “did everything to look after Knut—it’s normal for polar bears to live with other polar bears in a zoo, and the idea was that Knut should learn social behavior and other skills from the older females… He played with the other bears, he was relaxed and strong.”
Was It Immediate Drowning?
The pathology expert on April 1, said that the real cause behind the death of Knut was his immediate drowning. The bear was suffering from Anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis. In this disease, the swelling occurs in the brain of the patient. Though Knut never showed the symptoms, pathologists believed “this suspected infection must already have been there for a long time… at least several weeks, possibly months.” Knut was the first animal ever to be inflicted with this disease.
Sorrow Ensued
There was immediate sorrow in the city. Knut fans thronged the zoo and mourned in front of Knut’s enclosure. Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit said that the death of Knut was “awful,” and expressed his sorrow by saying “we all held him so dear. He was the star of the Berlin zoos.”
Monument Of Love
The zoo decided to honor Knut by building a monument in his memory. The monument was funded by his fans. The chairman of the Friends of the Berlin Zoo, Thomas Ziolko stated: “Knut will live on in the hearts of many visitors, but it’s important to create a memorial for coming generations to preserve the memory of this unique animal personality.” In 2012, a bronze statue of Knut was unveiled, that was called “Knut – The Dreamer.”
Friendship can happen to anyone and the best part about friendship is that it can be done with anyone.