 |
| Polar bear "Knut" (Ursus maritimus) shaking off water after swimming, 12 September 2010. (Photo: Benjamin Janecke a.k.a. BennyJ) |
Saturday, 19 March 2011
Berlin's beloved polar bear Knut, who rose to international stardom shortly after his birth on December 5, 2006 in captivity, died suddenly on Saturday.
Bear keeper Heiner Kloes said the world-famous bear, who was raised by zookeepers, collapsed in his compound and died shortly afterwards.
An autopsy is scheduled to determine a cause of death.
Knut rose to global fame after he was shown to the public for the first time as a 15-week-old cub. “Knutmania” swept across Germany and the world when the cub's mother rejected him shortly after his birth. The cub was raised by his Berlin zookeeper, Thomas Doerflein, who died unexpectedly in 2008 at the age of 44.
Knut merchandise, including postcards, key chains, candy and stuffed Knuts, has brought in hundreds of thousands of dollars to the zoo.
“Knutmania” also led to a famous 2007 Vanity Fair cover with U.S. actor Leonardo DeCaprio, shot by renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz.
