Berlin Zoo’s most famous resident, the polar bear banned Knut, died suddenly this past March. Apparently the bear, famous for controversy surrounding the practice of humans raising bear cubs, had an infection that led to encephalitis and accidental drowning. While Knut is gone, his brain lives on. It’s been captured in 3D by “some of the world’s most advanced medical imaging machines”, and researchers will be able to perform virtual inspections of the late bear’s brain and skull.
Fabbaloo readers will immediately realize that once a 3D model exists, it had better be printed. That’s precisely what’s happened here; researchers have printed Knut’s skull on a 3D printer.
Why all this attention? It seems to be that Knut became rather famous during his lifetime, generating massive increases in visitors to the Berlin Zoo. Once he departed, we think people would like to remember him.
We’re now wondering if there’s a market for 3D prints of beloved deceased pets?
Via Monsters and Critics and Wikipedia
Image Credit: Wikipedia
