A Swiss Zoo was criticized for putting down a healthy brown bear cub because it was being bullied by its father – instead of merely separating the larger, meaner animal out of the family enclosure.  Now the zoo is adding insult to fatality, preserving the dead cub to be used as a teaching aid.

Papa Bear Misha had already killed one of the baby’s siblings, because he was jealous of the kids taking up all of Mama Bear Masha’s love and affection.  In the wild, mother bears usually drive off the fathers after giving birth in order to protect the cubs.  For some reason, staff at the Dahlholzli Zoo in Bern had the entire family in close-quarters.  Even though this is in the city of Bern, where bears had been keep in zoos since the early 1200s – so you might think that they’d have picked up a few pointers in the past 800 years.  Bern’s coat of arms is a friggin’ bear.  It’s not like they’re unfamiliar.

This week, “Cub Four” – who never got a name – is at the taxidermist, having his fur attached to an artificial model in the shape of his body.  The Zoo Staff says it will be used to teach visitors “nature can be cruel”.  Except that it wasn’t nature that turned the poor baby into a plush toy.