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New Cub Could Out-Cute Knut

(Newser Summary) – There’s a new polar bear in Germany, and Knut had better watch his back, reports Der Spiegel, because the Nuremberg zoo’s 2.4-kilo baby bruin is drawing international attention for being so gosh darn cute. Fans have sent 15,000 name suggestions since Friday, but for now she’s called “Flocke,” German for "snowflake."

Flocke has been so popular that fans crashed the zoo’s Internet server, and she's inspired admirers to knit bibs and send letters. But Berlin bear backers scoff at the notion that Snowflake will top Knut. “Isn’t the original always better than a copy?” asked one editorial. “You have to want a star. Knut was ready for an international career from the word go.”
Source: Der Spiegel

More about:  zoo • polar bear • Knut • Berlin Zoo • Nuremburg Zoo • Flocke • Snowflake

A photo provided by the 'Tiergarten Nuernberg' zoo...
A photo provided by the 'Tiergarten Nuernberg' zoo in Nuremberg on Friday, Jan. 11, 2008 shows a polar bear baby during the evening feeding on Thursday, Jan 10, 2008. The Nuremberg zoo bottle-feed the...   (Associated Press)
In this photo dated Friday, Jan. 11, 2008 and provided...
In this photo dated Friday, Jan. 11, 2008 and provided by the 'Tiergarten Nuernberg' zoo in Nuremberg, southern Germany, on Saturday, Jan. 12, 2008, keeper Petra Fritz holds the new polar bear cub at...   (Associated Press)
A photo provided by the 'Tiergarten Nuernberg' zoo...
A photo provided by the 'Tiergarten Nuernberg' zoo in Nuremberg on Friday, Jan. 11, 2008 shows a polar bear baby sleeping after the evening feeding on Thursday, Jan 10, 2008. The Nuremberg zoo bottle-feed...   (Associated Press)
In this photo dated Friday, Jan. 11, 2008 and provided...
In this photo dated Friday, Jan. 11, 2008 and provided by the 'Tiergarten Nuernberg' zoo in Nuremberg, southern Germany, on Saturday, Jan. 12, 2008, the new polar bear cub with eyes still closed and...   (Associated Press)
A polar bear baby sleeping on a blanket is shown in...
A polar bear baby sleeping on a blanket is shown in this undated photo made available by Nuremberg Zoo, Nuremberg, Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2008. The Nuremberg Zoo announced Tuesday that it would begin bottle-feeding...   (Associated Press)
A keeper bottle-feeds a month-old polar bear cub at...
A keeper bottle-feeds a month-old polar bear cub at the zoo in Nuremberg, Germany, on Jan. 10, 2008. The German media predicted a bright future for the polar cub separated from its disturbed mother at...   (AFP)
A photo dated Sunday, Jan. 13, 2008 and provided by...
A photo dated Sunday, Jan. 13, 2008 and provided by the 'Tiergarten Nuernberg' zoo in Nuremberg on Monday, Jan. 14, 2008 shows the yet-unnamed polar bear cub sleeping next to a stuffed toy animal in its...   (Associated Press)
A photo dated Sunday, Jan. 13, 2008 and provided by...
A photo dated Sunday, Jan. 13, 2008 and provided by the 'Tiergarten Nuernberg' zoo in Nuremberg on Monday, Jan. 14, 2008 shows the hands of keeper Petra Fritz as he pets the yet-unnamed polar bear cub...   (Associated Press)
A photo provided by the 'Tiergarten Nuernberg' zoo...
A photo provided by the 'Tiergarten Nuernberg' zoo in Nuremberg on Friday, Jan. 11, 2008 shows a polar bear baby after the evening feeding on Thursday, Jan 10, 2008. The Nuremberg zoo bottle-feed the...   (Associated Press)
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 Snowflake
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PREMIUM NEWS ARCHIVE

FLOCKE CHARMER. (New Zealand Herald (Auckland, New Zealand))

Snapped: FIRST FOR FLOCKE.(Features) (Birmingham Mail (England))

Knut makes his big screen debut.(News) (Pretoria News (South Africa))

Baby bear.(polar bear)(Photograph) (Current Events, a Weekly Reader publication)

Polar bear cub is cross-eyed.(News) (Daily Post (Liverpool, England))

LITTLE FLOCKE IS BEARING UP WELL.(News) (Daily Record (Glasgow, Scotland))

AROUND THE WORLD..: Zoo cubs 'left to die'.(News) (The Mirror (London, England))

Laura Horelli at Barbara Weiss.(BERLIN) (Art in America)

zOO RELEASES BOOK ON KNUT.(Front) (The Virginian Pilot)

FRESH.(News) (Huddersfield Daily Examiner (Huddersfield, England))