Knut The Polar Bear's Mysterious Death Has Been Solved
Scientists Solve Tragic Mystery Behind The Death Of Knut The Polar Bear
Eve Hartley— The Huffington Post UK
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Scientists have at last cracked the mystery surrounding the death of Knut, the much-loved polar bear who lived at Berlin Zoo.
The arctic mammal, who attracted millions of visitors to his exhibit, died suddenly after a seizure in 2011, collapsing into his enclosure's moat.
The cause of his downfall was a mystery to scientists, until now...
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The mystery of Knut's death has been revealed
Researchers have revealed that Knut, who was raised in an enclosure after being abandoned by his mother at birth, was riddled with medical issues.
The creature suffered a form of autoimmune disease, which caused swelling of his brain.
However, the condition was only discovered in humans eight years ago and has never previously been found in animals.
Scientists at the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research made the discovery after receiving a tip-off from a neurologist at Berlin's Charite hospital.
They had discovered that Knut's case showed similarities to some of their human patients who suffered from anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis.
Knut is the first non-human subject in which anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis has been demonstrated.
In the journal of Scientific Reports, the researchers say it is very probably far more common than previously assumed, not just in captive or domesticated animals, but also in the wild.
Co-author Prof Alex Greenwood, from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research spoke to BBC News and said:
"Pretty much every aspect of Knut's life was played out in the public sphere.
"And reflecting on it now, we're very happy to reach the point where we can end the story by saying why he died.
"There's some closure. Closure for him, but it opens up possibilities for other animals. He will be the trigger for research that may help not just other polar bears but other wild and captured animals as well."
The life expectancy of polar bears in the wild is between fifteen and twenty years however animals in captivity can live even longer because they are not exposed to hunger, thirst or infections.
Knut polar bear
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Knut, the polar bear cub, has his first public appearance in the Berlin Zoo Friday, March 23, 2007. Television crews and photographers jockeyed with hundreds of excited children at Berlin's Zoo on Friday, all eager for a first glimpse of the fuzzy white polar bear cub who has captured hearts across the globe. (AP Photo/Herbert Knosowski) (credit:HERBERT KNOSOWSKI/AP)
(02 of12)
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Knut, the polar bear cub, has his first public appearance in the Berlin Zoo Friday, March 23, 2007.Television crews and photographers jockeyed with hundreds of excited children at Berlin's Zoo on Friday, all eager for a first glimpse of the fuzzy white polar bear cub who has captured hearts across the globe. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) (credit:MARKUS SCHREIBER/AP)
(03 of12)
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(credit:BxExAxTxE/Flickr)
(04 of12)
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Knut, the polar bear cub, rolls in the sand during his first public appearance in the Berlin Zoo on Friday, March 23, 2007. Television crews and photographers jockeyed with hundreds of excited children at Berlin's Zoo on Friday, all eager for a first glimpse of the fuzzy white polar bear cub who has captured hearts across the globe. (AP Photo/Franka Bruns) (credit:FRANKA BRUNS/AP)
(05 of12)
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Knut, the polar bear cub, rolls in the sand during his first public appearance in the Berlin Zoo. (credit:FRANKA BRUNS/AP)
(06 of12)
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Polar bear Knut plays with snow balls, at his enclosure at the zoo in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2009. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
(07 of12)
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Berlin's famous polar bear Knut reacts in the snow at the zoo in Berlin, Germany, on Friday, Jan. 8, 2010. Germany faces some heavy winter days with much snow and cold temperatures down to minus 15 degrees Celsius, (5 degrees Fahrenheit) at night. A snow storm all over Germany is expected for the weekend. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
(08 of12)
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Polar bear Knut sticks out his tongue in his enclosure in the zoo in Berlin on Tuesday, April 8, 2008. (AP Photo/Miguel Villagran) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
(09 of12)
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FILE - In this Dec. 5, 2010 file photo, polar bear Knut stands behind his 'birthday cake' to celebrate his 4th birthday in the Zoo of Berlin, Germany. A Berlin zoo official says world-famous polar bear Knut has died. Bear keeper Heiner Kloes said that four-year-old Knut died Saturday afternoon March 19, 2011 while alone in his compound. He says the cause is not yet clear. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn, File) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
(10 of12)
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Berlin's famous polar bear Knut reacts at the snow at the zoo in Berlin, Germany, on Friday, Jan. 8, 2010. Germany faces some heavy winter days with much snow and cold temperatures down to minus 15 degrees Celsius (5 degrees Fahrenheit) at night. A snow storm all over Germany is expected for the weekend. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
(11 of12)
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BERLIN, GERMANY - AUGUST 23: Two-year-old polar bear Wolodja walks in his enclosure at Tiergarten Berlin zoo on August 23, 2013 in Berlin, Germany. The zoo recently aquired Wolodja from a zoo in Moscow and zoo authorities are hoping he will pair with a female polar bear to impregnate her with a cub. Another polar bear cub, Knut, rose to world fame after he was born at Zoo Berlin zoo and was rejected by his mother. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images) (credit:Sean Gallup via Getty Images)
(12 of12)
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Late polar bear Knut is on display at the Natural History Museum in Berlin, Friday, Feb. 15, 2013. Adorable in life, still attracting admirers in death: Knut the polar bear's hide has been mounted on a polyurethane body and is going on display in a Berlin museum. The Natural History Museum on Friday unveiled the statue prepared by taxidermists featuring the famous Berlin Zoo bear's fur and claws, with the synthetic body and glass eyes. Knut was hand-raised after his mother rejected him. He rose to stardom in 2007 as a cuddly cub, appearing on magazine covers, in a film and on mountains of merchandise. He died in 2011 after suffering from encephalitis. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)