Bella Morris- Knut The Polar Bear (5th Period)

August 30,2015

         In March 2011, Knut, a beloved polar bear, suffered a severe seizure and drowned in his enclosure in Germany, while visitors of the zoo watched the entire death. Since then, many theories came up along with a number of questions asking, "What actually happened to Knut the polar bear?" How could a four year old polar bear who has never suffered from a seizure in his life, suddenly drop dead? After the horrific death, and autopsy was done and the conclusion was that Knut had an inflammation in his brain. But what caused it?
          What caused the brain to swell was the result of an autoimmune disease of the brain. Vets were caught off guard with this information. Knut was the first animal to ever suffer from this disease. This rare disease has only ever been found in humans. Since Knuts death, scientist have come up with a treatment for animals with the autoimmune disease in the brain. There was a memorial held after Knut's death. He was the most beloved animal and attraction at the zoo, along with bringing in the most money from zoo customers in the zoos 163 years of existence.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/28/europe/knut-polar-bear-mystery-solved/index.html