October 11, 2008 5:01:51 AM CDT
(Newser) – The younger and cuter of Germany's celebrity polar bear cubs greeted her adoring public today at the Nuremberg Zoo, Der Spiegel reports. Flocke ("Snowflake") mostly ignored the hundreds of eager reporters waiting to beam her antics across the world, choosing instead to explore her outdoor enclosure and splash in her pool. The zoo is bracing for up to 25,000 visitors per day, starting tomorrow.
Flocke was raised by zookeepers after fears that her mother would let her die. The zoo's director used today's media spotlight to bring attention to the plight of the bear's wild cousins. "People shouldn't see Snowflake as a little teddy, but as a symbol," he said. "The greenhouse effect is literally taking away the polar bears' habitat from under their feet."
Sources Der Spiegel, CNN
Mar 14, 08 12:16 PM CDT Nuremberg’s favorite polar bear club is growing up fast and should be ready for her public debut by April, Der Spiegel reports. Little Snowflake has already passed through such coming-of-age rituals as her first bone, her first trip outdoors, and a much-needed first bath. Before the bath, Snowflake was apparently a decidedly smelly bear, keepers say. More »
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 »
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 »
Jan 31, 08 3:21 PM CST Polar celebrity Snowflake will meet her adoring public as early as late March, and Nuremberg zoo staff predict a blizzard of attention surrounding its most popular bundle of fur. Annual visitors are expected to jump from 250,000 to 1.3 million, reports Der Spiegel, which has the city readying itself by speeding up public transportation to the zoo. More »
Jan 18, 08 3:35 PM CST After fielding tens of thousands of suggestions from around the world, the Nuremburg zoo has named its new polar bear cub Flocke, German for "snowflake," Der Spiegel reports. The adorable 6-week-old will keep her nickname, says the city's mayor, in part because many of the monikers proposed by her legions of fans were "difficult for German tongues to pronounce." More »
Germany • polar bear • Nuremburg Zoo • Flocke
