Polar bear in zoo turns purple

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loup garou

Lifer
Feb 17, 2000
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Originally posted by: tcsenter
Originally posted by: Medellon
Originally posted by: aphex
that is the worst photoshop job i've seen in awhile.... good for a chuckle...

REally...especially when the bars are purple also!!!
There is a reason the bear, and the bars, and some of the rocks in the water, are all purple.

The bear is being treated with an antimicrobial agent called gentian violet, which contains a very powerful dye compound called Crystal Violet. It has been around forever for use in the treatment of fungal and yeast infections like candida and ringworm. Its powerfully purple and will stain like nothing you've ever seen except for perhaps ink.

Clearly, the violet stain has rubbed off on to everything the bear has been rubbing against.

Isn't it neat to find out how much you truly do not know?
Haha...I don't usually use dork-speak, but this is truly worthy of a:

pwn3d!
 

brigden

Diamond Member
Dec 22, 2002
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Where are all the photochop morons now? Do you guys believe anything you see?
 

paruhd0x

Diamond Member
Apr 2, 2000
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Originally posted by: aphex
Originally posted by: Lucky
Originally posted by: aphex
that is the worst photoshop job i've seen in awhile.... good for a chuckle...



Considering I saw the bear live on TV....I can safely say it's not photoshopped.

And nothing on tv can be edited? Im sorry, but looking at the drastic colors evident in that image, it sure as HELL looks photoshopped to me... Look at how neon the bars look, and the purple GLOWING rocks...

Those "rocks" could be its poop. :p
 

yukichigai

Diamond Member
Apr 23, 2003
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Originally posted by: tcsenter
Luckily we have you areound to set us straight.
I get even more informative...

Gentian violet was a very common household remedy not so many years ago, before the advent of modern antifungals. It was particularly common in the treatment of oral candida infections found in breast-feeding babies, known as "thrush". It was not uncommon to see babies with purple mouths and lips and tongues, accompanied by mom who would have a neat purple-stained breast.

Today, gentian violet is used in a number of applicatons, mostly for its staining properties. Surgical skin markers used by surgeons to mark the surgical site use gentian violet as the 'ink'.

I don't, however, know why they chose to use gential violet on the bear when there are better systemic antifungal treatments today. Maybe they figured it would kill two birds with one stone; treat the bear's dermatophyte infection and draw visitors.

Because it's Argentina, which after that whole Eva Peròn bit hasn't been the most advanced and financially rich of nations. (Not that they're third world or anything)