In recent weeks, a baby polar bear at the Berlin Zoo has caused a worldwide stir. Knut, as he’s called, was rejected by his mother at an early age, and has since been hand-reared by zoo staff. This situation has spurred some opponents to the hand-rearing of wild animals to comment that it would be more humane to kill Knut than for him to be overly influenced by humans. Despite these protests, the Berlin Zoo has decided to keep Knut alive. While hand-rearing may be controversial, many zoos do raise animals in this way. Here are a few examples:
- Knut: Polar bear at the Berlin Zoo
- Jinki & Tula: Tasmanian devils at the Australia Zoo
- Rio: Mexican yellow-headed Amazon parrot at the San Diego Zoo
- Squeak: Dwarf mongoose at the Whipsnade Zoo (UK)
- Sungai: Siamang (a type of lesser ape) at the San Francisco Zoo
