Readers debate how best to remember Knut

The following comments reflect the views of DW-WORLD.DE readers. DW-WORLD.DE reserves the right to edit for length and appropriateness of content.

The idea of displaying this polar bear is absurd. It's an animal in a zoo that died. Will we worship the statue afterwards? Stop this nonsense. -- Linda, US

It would be fine to stuff Knut and put him on display in the zoo where he lived or in a museum - but not to use him to make a political statement about climate change. -- Muriel, US

Please treat Knut with the respect he deserves. Don't make a display of him. A statue is one thing, his stuffed body is another. The story is heartbreaking enough. Rest in peace, Knut. -- Lee, US

I wonder if perhaps Knut's mother abandoned him because she sensed his epileptic condition, her natural instinct telling her he would not survive. If Knut had been born in his natural habitat or if humans weren't there to intervene, Knut would have died off in a "culling of the herd" selective process. Cruel to contemplate but that's the way of nature. -- Amanda, US

I don't have a problem with Knut being put on display to honor the young bear. However, his life and death had nothing to do with "climate change," so I think it would be wrong to use his death as a way to promote "climate change." -- Linda, US

I think that Knut's remains should be cremated and spread over the northern ice flows where he would have lived if he were a wild polar bear. He lived his life in captivity, and I think it would be unfair his death be in captivity as well. Thanks for letting me express my feelings about Knut's remains. -- Rod, Canada

I think it is quite ironic that an animal, placed in captivity because of our grossly naive conclusions that we must protect it from a world that we perceived to be unsustainable, that died as a result of our intervention on nature, would inevitably be reduced to a lifeless puppet to further our naive and narcissistic ideals about our role in climate change and to promote human intervention in nature. -- Bob, US

Please do not stuff Knut and make him an exhibit. Just bury the sweet thing. I do like the idea of a bronze statue of him though. RIP. -- D Kime, US

Compiled by Matt Zuvela
Editor: Nicole Goebel