This is crazy!!! Has anyone heard of, or know anymore about this unfortunate "creature?" Her name is Antonia and she is 22 years old and apparently a dwarf polar bear. Why in God's name would you feed something like this for 22 years? Does anyone know if a dietary deficiency caused her "dwarfism", or was she physically born this way. I know nothing about polar bears and her particulars are: Head and parts of the body are almost the normal size, but especially the legs are much too short.
Lenght: 1.35 m (compared to some 2.20 in "normal" polar bears)
Weight: 130 kg (ca. 320 kg in females, up to 600 kg in males)
Shoulder-height: 70 cm (150 cm)
I have seen a few tigers over the years that looked "dwarfy," usually with the physical characteristic described above "head and part's of the body normal size." The few I have seen have always been cross bred animals, ie. Siberian/Bengal, Siberian/Sumatran, Bengal/Sumatran. I have also seen pictures of lion/leopard crosses in which the offspring look "dwarfy." I have always thought the reason being, and I may be wrong, correct me if I am, that the offspring inherit physical atributes from both parents, most commonly the larger head and body from one parent, and the smaller/shorter legs from the other parent. I you cross a big horse with a small horse, you won't get a medium sized horse. If you cross an animal with long legs with an animal with short legs, you won't get medium sized legs. You will get either long legs, or short legs. It is not "dwarfism" in the true sense. Just a short legged horse inheriting genetic material from each parent, dominate gene coming to the forefront.
Are there subspecies of Polar Bears? Is there a smaller one, and a larger one? Why have we not heard of this before? Why are white animals/albino animals apparently more common then a dwarf polar bear, or a dwarf tiger, lion, leopard, cheetah, elephant, zebra, girafffe, etc. etc, etc. This creature "Antonia" is just incredulous to me, and I hope someone can help with some answers or futher information.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Antonia--Ruhrzoo, Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine Westphalia
Posted by
Wade G. Burck
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13 comments:
Wade,
You didn't really say this - did you? Why in God's name would you feed something like this for 22 years?
Why wouldn't you?
Anonymous,
Oh course, I really said that. Why wouldn't I? It is not a human being, it is an animal. An animal that has absolutely nothing to contribute to it's species. Right now there is more then enough polar bear DNA to keep the species viable, and I really don't see it becoming a dire situation. Should that change anytime in the future, given the captive numbers the species is pretty well covered. Not every dog, cat, horse, tiger, elephant or any other animals need's to be kept around, monies spent on caring and feeding, unless it can contribute something. A performing animal on the other hand deserves and demands the finest care for the rest of it's life, once it is old and physically unable to perform, as does a hunting dog, a performance horse, or any other animal that have performed in partnership with a human. If an animal, domestic or wild, meet's those two criteria, genetic viability and ex working/performing, do all that is humanly and financially possible for them. The rest get rid of so there is more time, space, and monies to contribute to the useful ones. I love White Tigers and they are beautiful, and also long as a zoo has room and money for them, great. But if at such time that space and monies becomes an issue, unless a White Tiger can prove it's pure Bengal ancestry, the unpure/crossed need to be gotten rid of. If they are dwarf, six legged, four eyed they never should have lived longer then 10 mins. Domestic animals born the same way are different. They can have a great life in The Big Circus Side Show with the Curator seeing to every need. If not, raise them to maturity or 1.12 a pound, which every comes first, then they can become a Big Mac. That is their "contribution."
Wade
Antonia is not suffering nor in pain, and the zoo always had enough space to keep her, they have enough space to keep 4 more polar bears in 2 pairs, and I can`t see a single reason to euthanize her. She is very popular with visitors, too.
I am all for not breeding subspecies hybrids and I would neuter all white tigers since they are all hybrids, by the way, taking away important places for purebred animals.
Nicole
On the subject of Polar Bears, but off topic from this post:
Has anyone noticed the conspicuous absence of stories about the poor starving ploar bears since the Annointed One was elected? Do you think that maybe, just maybe, the media was just using one more political angle to lure the enviromental vote? Nah!
I did a little research of my own. In the early 70's the North American polar bear population was around 5,000. It is now close to 25,000. Since an adult polar bear consumes the average of one seal every 8 days, did anyone give thought that if there is any starving going on, it's because they have out stripped their food source?
Besides, as I pointed out to my very liberal, animal-concerned sister, starvation is the way most wild animals die - too old to hunt - injured or sick and cannot hunt or forage or compete for food.
Which goes to your original question about why there are fewer dwarf animals. This bear and other dwarfs wouldn't have lasted long past weaning in the wild. So it was either captive born or captured in infancy and the little dwarf became the darling of it's keepers and was kept more as a novelty than a representative of it's species, like an emotional side show within a zoo.
The story of Antonia
http://www.zoo-ag.de/exkursionen/antonia.htm
Nicole,
I bet it you took the cost of feeding and caring for her for one day, and multiplied it by 22 years, you should have the funds to built the chimpanzee a decent home, and possibly a breeding colony, just as one example, and if we put our heads together we could come up with other way's to spend approximately 25.00 X 7 X 4 X 12 X 22 years. I agree about white tigers(note I said unless they can prove their pure bred Bengal status)if there are other aspects of the zoo suffering, or the space/finances need for a legitimate endangered species, and "if" your stated mission is the preservation and propagation of endangered species, then yes, a cross bred white tiger has no place in the legitimate zoo world, but until that time they are no different then a Panda Bear acting as an ambassador for the species. Something a dwarf anything wouldn't be on it's best day.
Wade
Anonymous,
I am fully aware that a dwarf Polar Bear wouldn't have much of a chance surviving on it's own past weaning/separation from it's mother. A sure reason why none have been documented in the wild. I promise if she was wild caught(normally as infants) she had the same characteristics, and chances are would not have been taken as she would have no value. CITIES was passed in 1976 a lot longer ago then 22 years, so even odd's says she was not wild born but rather captive born. 22 years ago it was pretty common practice to pull the offspring of Polar bears and hand rear them. That was the point. Could it possibly have been a dietary deficiency that lead to the "dwarfism"? I don't like using the word dwarf, in this case as it is only the legs that appear stunted, not the whole body. Leg problems were common years ago, in malnourished or improperly fed suckling offspring. If we eliminate it occurring in the wild, which all signs say in correct, then why is it not a more common problem with carnivore and omnivore pure breds in captivity. I don't think she can be the first of all time and there are not reports of others. I am inclined to suspect nutrition at a young age for physical affliction.
Wade
Anonymous,
Thank you for the interesting link. I wish I would have read it before, I commented to another anonymous, but it is still as I suspect, a problem linked to the "questionable" situation, and the captive environment of the creature. Maybe she does have a use as an example of man's folly and how much the zoological field has advanced.
Again the article was most appreciated, and I for one learned a lot so that makes me very happy. It the Journal of the Independent Zoo Enthusiast Society available online and if so do you have the link for it.
Thank you,
Wade
Wade, I am happy to report that the chipms already have new, large, modern indoor- and outdoor quarters. The whole zoo had a complete remake in the last years. The first 2 pics (lions and the baboons) are from the new enclosures, the chimp and the giraffe pics are definately old. The giraffes have a very large, new paddock and a modern barn now too.
Nicole
the picture of the three sterilized male lions must be taken some years back, two of these males have died sinds then. The one remaining male is currently being introduced to three female lions, from Ouwhands Zoo in the Netherlands, these normaly colord females cary the so called white or champagne gene. Ouwehands Zoo now only holds a pair of champagne lions.
Bjorn
Nicole,
I realize you have an nice, pretty zoo. I never said anything to the contrary. I was only questioning keeping an animal like Antonia, feeding and housing her, if your mission is to educate and breed endangered species. Apparently she has been moved to an older exhibit deemed inadequate a number of years ago. Is that true? Cross bred white tigers shouldn't be moved to an inadequate facility if at such time their good facility is needed for a truly endangered species. I also object to displaying them with the history of Rewa and Mohini attached without pointing out that there were indeed crossed with blood other then Bengal. I don't think Antonia serves any other purpose except an emotional attachment for the people around her. My opinion is that a Heck recreated Tarpan or a Heck recreated Auroch or a white tiger, cross bred or not, as an example of what was, and what was lost, and will keep happening unless they are protected and bred, has more of a place in the legitimate zoo world then a physically deformed polar bear. I would like to see more pictures of your facility if you had any. My email is wburck3@aol.com By the way, I know your opinion of White Tigers, but what is your opinion of champagne lions?
Regards,
Wade
Bjorn,
Thank you for the information. Your the man, and it was in a nick of time. How's the weather across the water in your neck of the woods. I understand it is coming on to the most beautiful time of the year.
Wade
Wade,
well over here the weather is good, the last two days where over 21 degrees, so if this keeps going on whe might have an indian summer over here.
Bjorn
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