Death of a bear called Knut

A polar bear is dead.

He died in Berlin Zoo aged 4

- Knut is no more.

They'll cut him open now.

Some official reason for their sudden loss -

They must underscore

The fact that Knut died not

Of stress or broken heart

When he searched those crowds once more

In vain for the one who'd bottle-fed him

When he was small

And played those games with him upon the prison floor.

Authority had said

That Knut had grown too big to play.

This was official - and Authority (as always) knows

What's best for man and beast.

Two friends from different worlds

Nevermore will roll and hug upon the floor.

_______

gw2011

Knut's keeper Thomas Dörflein, 44, died suddenly in September 2008. The Zoo had ruled that Knut, at 120kg, was too BIG to play any more wrestling games with Dörflein. The Zoo's takings were up nearly 30% during the time of Knut.

Another bear, Bruno the brown bear was in recent years shot dead by Bavarian sharpshooters lying in wait for him, when he crossed over the German border having wandered over the Alps from Italy (he killed a few lambs on the way it must be admitted. But even a bear has to eat). The use of a tranquilizer dart to subdue Bruno was deemed too risky.

And also recently, in Austria some 20 bears belonging to the WWF went missing. We can safely presume they are also dead. So what is it about *European bears? In Yellowstone (USA) they run around like celebrities.

*or European people.