Knut 'Doesn't Know He's a Polar Bear'

Related Newser Stories

• Berlin May Lose Knut to Rival

  Dec 3, 08 11:50 AM CST
  The world's favorite polar bear may be bidding auf wiedersehen to the Berlin Zoo. Cuddly tourist attraction Knut actually belongs to the north German zoo his father came from, and a move is expected in the first half of 2009. "We entered into a contract which stated that the first surviving cub is owned by Neumuenster Zoo," said the Berlin Zoo's director. But Berlin officials want to keep Knut—and the extra $6.3 million he pulled in last year, the BBC reports.
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• Knut's Surrogate Dad Dead at 44

  Sep 22, 08 3:09 PM CDT
  Thomas Dörflein, the Berlin zookeeper who raised polar bear Knut after his mother rejected him, was found dead in his apartment today, Der Spiegel reports. He was 44. Authorities said there was no evidence of foul play; Dörflein had been very sick. The keeper’s contact with Knut was cut off almost a year ago when the cub became too big to safely play with. More »

• Knut to Hit the Silver Screen

  Mar 3, 08 6:30 AM CST
  Once celebrity polar bear Knut got big and his fluffy fur gained a yellowish-gray tint, public attention turned to younger, cuter bears. But now the spotlight is back on the Berlin Zoo's most famous orphan, with the premiere of a new documentary called Knut and Friends, the Canadian Press reports. More »

• Knut's Dad Wants a Piece of the Action

  Feb 15, 08 2:41 PM CST
  Knut, the polar bear superstar of the Berlin Zoo, has all the trappings of celebrity—fame, money, a Hollywood deal, and now, family members looking to cash in. The zoo that owns his dad, Lars, says it deserves some of the millions Knut has raked in, Der Spiegel reports. "We are currently looking into what claims we could have," said a spokesman for Neumunster Zoo. More »

• Cute, or Miserable and Crazy?

  Jan 15, 08 11:20 AM CST
  The Nuremberg zoo's new polar bear cub, cute as she is, is highlighting the sometimes stark and brutal condition the animals face in captivity. Some biologists say the decision to bottle-feed the cub after her mother rejected her—as was done with superstar bear Knut—will only produce "a second psychopath," a bear dependent on humans and clueless about how to interact with her own species. More »