Should Knut the polar bear be saved?

[Brainbox]

I voted no. No matter how cute it is now, one day it'll be a big killing machine.

Polar bears don't really kill people. Only fish and seals. So to be honest, it won't actually kill that much. Not that I'm denouncing the importance of seals or fish.

[Kikuichimonji]

I expected this kind of reactions. It's really a shame that I get verbally attacked just for stating my opinion.

As I stated, I am certainly not a "coldharted meanie", but I'd rather look at this in an ethical way then to make judgment based on my feeling. The fact that everybody seems to think "oh it's so cute, you can't kill it" is ok, in my opinion. Then why is it not ok for you guys to see my point of view? It's not that they should "kill" Knut, it's more that it shouldn't have to face a life of sorrow and pain.

Yoda, let me ask you a question: are you a vegetarian? If not, then what's so different about killing other animals (without an ethical purpose, but solely to feed mankind)? I understand your point of view, seeing as how you posted all those pictures, but I'd appreciate it if you'd try to use different words next time. No hard feelings though (and hoping you won't have any either) :-)

[mutley777]

Kikuichimonji:

While i admire your honesty and the fact that you are brave enough to say how you feel on this matter i think your points are rather lost. How can you compare people eating meat of thriving live stock to saving the life of what is a really a endangered species and i am affraid i find the whole vegetarian thing a bit lame. If you don't want to kill animals for food then you should be a vegan, there should be no half measure on this point or you just end up looking like a hippocrate. The bear should be able to go into a enclosure with others when he is older so here is hoping for a bright future for Knut. :-)

[Kikuichimonji]

Mutley:

Let's just say I enjoy a bit of discussion every now and then.

If I would've been the one making the choice over the bear's life, I probably would've done what felt right and let it live. Still, I am not responsible for that decision, and because I am at a 'safe' distance, I can more easily say what I think is right.

Simply put, it's a matter of heart or head. And well, the past has thought me that the best thing to do is usually using your head (although there are, of course, exceptions).

You mention the fact that polar bears are an endangered species. To be honest, I hadn't even though this far. You do have a point which I just can't counter with anything there.

As for the vegetarian item, I am indeed somewhat 'proud' to be different from others. Not just in the aspect of eating meat or not, but in multiple ones (music, for instance). Still, the point should not be "why do we kill the animal", the point should be that we kill it. The animal doesn't care about what happens to it after it has dies, it only cares about death itself (yes, crappy sentence construction, I know).

Basically, I looked at the replies in this topic and thought 'meh, there's no fun without some discussion'. Which does not mean that I am of another opinion then I have previously stated. Now, if anyone has something to say which does not come down to "you're a meanie", I'd be glad to hear it. Remember that a discussion is also about respecting the other person :-)

[Scouty]

it's more that it shouldn't have to face a life of sorrow and pain.

I just wanna throw a comment and leave.

How do you know that it's going to live a life of sorrow and pain? Just because it got rejected does not mean that it is going to be a little miserable wreck...

*Leaves room*

:-)

[5150 Lego]

I voted no. No matter how cute it is now, one day it'll be a big killing machine.

while i respect your opinion, and admire your honesty, this coment makes absolutly no sense. Killing machine? Yo whom exactly? As brain box already stated it (like 90% of all animals) only kill to eat. So where do you get off calling polor bears killing machines?

[ghoulrealm]

I'm not really swayed by the cuteness factor, but I do have an affinity for animals over people. If this animal was born in the pristine wild and abandoned, I would be content to let nature take it's course. But since we(people) are directly responsable for his mother being in captivity, we should take no less resposability as if it were a human orphan.

If this animal was suffering in some way that is beyond a human interventive care, then I might consider euthanasia. This doesn't seem to be the case thus far.

For the most part, I believe you should only kill an animal if you intend to eat it and use it's body to the fullest extent, or in direct self defense. And not because the animal is a threat or even has killed a person!(If an animal is deemed dangerous it's because people have encroched into it's habitat) We need to leave these animals and their habitats alone. >:-(

I have to ask if we would feel the same way if this was an aligator, wolverine, or any other endangered species that isn't so cute or perhaps so intelligent as a bear? Or even a nonendagered species such as racoons or the stray dogs that are routinely executed? >:-(

The species should not be a factor here, although I will say I could live without some such as most parasites :-X

Kikuichimonji! You are a plant killing machine! :-D

[5150 Lego]

I'm not really swayed by the cuteness factor, but I do have an affinity for animals over people. If this animal was born in the pristine wild and abandoned, I would be content to let nature take it's course. But since we(people) are directly responsable for his mother being in captivity, we should take no less resposability as if it were a human orphan.

If this animal was suffering in some way that is beyond a human interventive care, then I might consider euthanasia. This doesn't seem to be the case thus far.

For the most part, I believe you should only kill an animal if you intend to eat it and use it's body to the fullest extent, or in direct self defense. And not because the animal is a threat or even has killed a person!(If an animal is deemed dangerous it's because people have encroched into it's habitat) We need to leave these animals and their habitats alone. >:-(

I have to ask if we would feel the same way if this was an aligator, wolverine, or any other endangered species that isn't so cute or perhaps so intelligent as a bear? Or even a nonendagered species such as racoons or the stray dogs that are routinely executed? >:-(

The species should not be a factor here, although I will say I could live without some such as most parasites :-X

Kikuichimonji! You are a plant killing machine! :-D

Very well put ghoulrealm. *y* *y*

[xwingyoda]

Yoda, let me ask you a question: are you a vegetarian? If not, then what's so different about killing other animals (without an ethical purpose, but solely to feed mankind)? I understand your point of view, seeing as how you posted all those pictures, but I'd appreciate it if you'd try to use different words next time. No hard feelings though (and hoping you won't have any either) :-)

No hard feelings at all ;-) !!

I did not get pissed because you answered "no" but because of the reasons you put forward: simply plain BS IMO.

I am not a vegie and I wear leather (unlike some female veggie that wear it which really piss me off big time for obvious reasons).

You realize you do mix everything don't you ? Killing animals fo feeding is far different from the matter at hand: animals are bred and fed for the sole purpose of killing them (the only thing I dislike is the way they are treated). HOWEVER, killing an animal that is on the verge of beeing exctinct in a couple of years is far different !!

I think the cuteness factor is irrelevent here (at least for me)

Enough for now, I need to get ready for partying :-P

Cheers and Knut ON !!

*yoda*

[Corvus]

Yes.

Any animal that can be saved, should be. Abandoning him because he doesn't have a mother is wrong. I love animals, and I even work with birds of prey. Has anyone been to the High Desert Museum? They only take in animals that have been hurt or imprinted (raised by humans).

I once met a falconer who said that he will euthanize a bird that has a hurt wing because it can't fly. To me, that's just wrong. All animals deserve a chance at life.

[5150 Lego]

I once met a falconer who said that he will euthanize a bird that has a hurt wing because it can't fly. To me, that's just wrong. All animals deserve a chance at life.

What do you mean "euthanize"?

[xwingyoda]

What do you mean "euthanize"?

It can be described as such: the act or practice of killing or permitting the death of hopelessly sick or injured individuals (as persons or domestic animals) in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy

Hope that helped ;-)

*yoda*

[Wout]

Yes, he must be saved, not because he's cute or something like that, but because the genes.

But I hope he can live somewhere with one or two other polarbears in a nice Zoo