At times like these, it is important to remember that we are all members of the global economy. Even -- nay -- especially polar bears.
The BBC has reported that the Berlin zoo's most adorable baby/most awkward teenage polar bear, Knut, may lose his job due to wide-reaching budgetary constraints being felt across EU institutions. This little guy was a shitstorm of adorable. His mother rejected him at birth (dick!) and he formed an immediate and well-documented motherly bond with his German carer, Thomas Döerflein. He informed a generation of Youtube videos, and quickly became one of Germany's most famous 'ambassadors'.But then things got sad really fast. After his debut early in 2007, guests were gradually more disappointed to see a Knut who was ever bigger, dirtier, and angstier than they'd been led to believe. Döerflein died suddenly in September after being told by German zoologists that he would have to drastically cut time spent with his bear-son, and the Times reported a rageful Knut, in a particularly dramatic move, ravaging his own birthday cake at a celebration last year. Bizarrely, the zoo's director Bernhard Blaszkiewitz published a book titled Knautschke, Knut and Co which explained somewhat bitterly how Knut's fame has overshadowed the personalities of the other animals in his vicinity. Knut is also almost 2 years old and ready to mate, but endeavoring to get him some would require upwards of £7 million.Now it seems there is something of a bidding war for the bear at zoos across Europe. I don't know, there's something a bit too Great Gatsby about this to let humanity off the hook entirely for Knut's downward spiral. Poor fella.ARIANNA REICHE