Flocke Dives Into the Spotlight

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." (More Flocke stories.)