ABSTRACT
This chapter traces the in-betweenness of zoos through the story of Knut, the polar bear in the Berlin Zoo and the history of zoos in general. Knut, born in captivity in the Berlin zoo, on December sixth, 2006, this polar bear cub called Knut has been the centre of many controversies surrounding the ideas of natural' wild' and ethics of human-animal interaction. A polar bear is exotic because it does not naturally occur in the regions around Germany. On 19th March, 2011 Knut the polar bear died. An infection in the brain caused him to drown in the pool. Arguments against the idea of stuffing Knut were raised; the Natural History Museum instead mounted the real fur on a statue for display. The exhibition entitled 'The Value of Nature' will include Knut under the aspects of his extraordinary popularity and his role as ambassador for an endangered species'.
