Animal rights activists to baby polar bear: Drop dead!

Okay, the animal rights movement has officially jumped the shark (er, polar bear).

From the London Daily Mail:

Tiny, fluffy and adorable, Knut the baby polar bear became an animal superstar after he was abandoned by his mother.

He rapidly became the symbol of Berlin Zoo, whose staff bottle-fed him and handed out cuddles in between.

At three months old, however, the playful 19lb bundle of fur is at the centre of an impassioned debate over whether he should live or die.

Animal rights activists argue that he should be given a lethal injection rather than brought up suffering the humiliation of being treated as a domestic pet.

The zoo must kill the bear," said spokesman Frank Albrecht. "Feeding by hand is not species-appropriate but a gross violation of animal protection laws."

Not "species-appropriate"?

Has anyone told Herr Albrecht & Co. that compassion is (at least occasionally) species-appropriate behavior in humans?

UPDATE: Der Spiegel has excellent coverage (and some great Knut pictures) here. Thus far, PETA doesn't seem to have taken any position on Knut's fate. I'll keep you posted on that front. Meanwhile, you can watch a Knut video here.

Over at Captain's Quarters, Ed Morrisey seems to be just as baffled as I am: "Someone will have to explain the concept of euthanizing an animal to protect it. Protect it from what—other animal-rights activists? If Knut could understand the controversy, he'd wonder whose side the animal-rights activists are really on."

This post is affectionately dedicated to Cathy Seipp, animal lover and blogger extraordinaire, who died on Wednesday, March 21, 2007. LAT obituary is here.