Berlin Zoo

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4 Years Later, Mystery of Knut's Death Solved

And the discovery could end up saving humans

(Newser) - The sudden death four years ago of Knut, the celebrity polar bear, shocked his fans around the world and posed a riddle for veterinarians. The 4-year-old bear died in March 2011 after suffering an apparent seizure and collapsing into his enclosure's pool in front of hundreds of visitors at...

In Wake of Knut's Death, Berlin Zoo Loses Young Indian Elephant Shaina Pali
 Knut's Zoo Loses 2nd Animal 

Knut's Zoo Loses 2nd Animal

Six-year-old elephant Shaina Pali dies unexpectedly

(Newser) - Just two weeks after the Berlin Zoo lost star polar bear Knut, a second young animal has died. Indian elephant Shaina Pali died early today at age six—well short of the 80 years elephants can live in captivity, reports the AP. The zoo's vet thinks an infection is to...

Knut to Be Stuffed, Displayed

Famous polar bear will go to Berlin museum

(Newser) - Knut spent his life on display in the Berlin Zoo, and in death he'll move to a museum. The famous bear will be stuffed and exhibited in Berlin's Natural History Museum, the New York Post reports, citing the Times of London. Even as veterinarians examined Knut to determine a cause...

Brain Problems Killed Knut
 Brain Problems Killed Knut 

Brain Problems Killed Knut

Berlin Zoo says he was otherwise fine

(Newser) - The mysterious and sudden death of polar bear sensation Knut is mysterious no longer. A necropsy performed yesterday discovered "significant changes to the brain, which can be viewed as a reason for the polar bear's sudden death," the Berlin Zoo announced today. The zoo wouldn't elaborate on what...

Polar Bear Knut Is Dead
 Polar Bear 
 Knut Is Dead 

Polar Bear Knut Is Dead

Beloved polar bear had been a world sensation

(Newser) - Sad news from Germany: Knut, the world's most famous polar bear, is dead. The 4-year-old bear was found in his enclosure this morning, though the cause of death isn't known. Knut became an international sensation after being abandoned by his mother at the Berlin Zoo, then raised by human keepers....

Happy 4th Birthday, Knut!
 Happy 4th Birthday, Knut! 

Happy 4th Birthday, Knut!

Zoo-goers celebrate Germany's favorite polar bear

(Newser) - Knut, Germany's favorite polar bear, has celebrated his 4th birthday with a lavish party at his zoo attended by about 250 people. Fish and meat were served in the polar bear's snow-covered, outdoor enclosure at the Berlin Zoo today, followed by a birthday cake shaped like the number 4. As...

Germans Fear Lady Bears Are Bullying Knut

Zookeepers say it's totally normal

(Newser) - When zookeepers moved Knut—the bizarrely famous Berlin Zoo polar bear—into an enclosure with his mom and two other female bears, they were hoping he might strike up some kind of romance. Instead, Germans now fear the girls are “bullying” their famous cellmate. One video recently posted online...

Knut Is Disturbed, Having Panic Attacks
 Knut Is Disturbed, 
 Having Panic Attacks 
says peta

Knut Is Disturbed, Having Panic Attacks

Polar bear is imitating tourists, acting abnormally

(Newser) - World-famous polar bear Knut is suffering panic attacks thanks to his life in captivity, say scientists…PETA scientists, that is. Knut and Gianna, his companion at the Berlin Zoo, “are definitely displaying behavioral problems,” one researcher tells AFP . Among his apparent issues: Panic attacks, swaying to and fro,...

PETA Wants Knut Castrated
 PETA Wants Knut Castrated 

PETA Wants Knut Castrated

They worry about incest with comely cousin Giovanna

(Newser) - The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals want Knut’s nuts. The group’s German branch is demanding the Berlin Zoo castrate the world’s most famous polar bear, lest he mate with his current cage-mate—and cousin—Giovanna, a 3-year-old female on loan from the Munich Zoo. “...

Knut Will Stay in Berlin
 Knut Will Stay in Berlin 

Knut Will Stay in Berlin

(Newser) - The Berlin Zoo’s prized polar bear, Knut, isn’t going anywhere, Der Spiegel reports. Officials there will pay $600,000 to a rival zoo to settle an ownership dispute. Given Knut's bankability as a bona fide world star, it's a bargain. The bear, not yet 3 years old, is...

Polar Bear Chomps German Zoo Visitor

She survives with serious injuries after entering enclosure

(Newser) - A woman survived a polar bear attack in a Berlin Zoo enclosure when keepers pulled her to safety after knocking the animal away, the Daily Telegraph reports. One of four bears in the enclosure attacked the woman in a moat after she entered—a feat that required jumping a fence,...

Knut Needed Hug: Zoo Intruder

Unidentified man scales wall to get closer to polar bear in Berlin

(Newser) - A German man says he climbed over a Berlin Zoo barrier today because the polar bear needed a hug, Bloomberg reports. The unidentified man, 37, apparently believed the animal—which drew 3.2 million visitors last year—was lonely. “He wanted to keep Knut company,” police said. Knut,...

Berlin May Lose Knut to Rival
 Berlin May Lose Knut to Rival 

Berlin May Lose Knut to Rival

Polar bear under contract with different German zoo

(Newser) - 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...

Knut's Surrogate Dad Dead at 44

Police doubt foul play in death of Dörflein, long ill

(Newser) - 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...

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

Overexposed to humans, celebrity animal is miserable

(Newser) - Poor Knut: The celebrity polar bear, no longer the ball of fluff who captivated animal lovers around the world, is miserable without human contact and doesn't realize he isn't a person. "Knut must go. As soon as possible," a keeper at the Berlin Zoo said of the 300-pound...

Berlin Zoo Accused of Selling Animals for Slaughter

Politician says director sold hippo, bear family

(Newser) - A German politician has filed a criminal complaint against the director of the Berlin Zoo, accusing him of selling animals for slaughter, Der Spiegel reports. The complaint cites examples of a hippopotamus and a family of bears allegedly sold in Belgium. Bernhard Blaszkiewitz vehemently denied the accusations, which he described...

Knut to Hit the Silver Screen
Knut to Hit the Silver Screen

Knut to Hit the Silver Screen

Documentary follows star bear cub from tiny fluffball to frightening teen

(Newser) - 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.

Knut's Dad Wants a Piece of the Action

Rival zoo says it's entitled to share star polar bear's earnings

(Newser) - 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. "...

Cute, or Miserable and Crazy?
Cute, or Miserable and Crazy?

Cute, or Miserable and Crazy?

Critics say bottle-feeding polar bear cub will produce 'a second psychopath'

(Newser) - 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...

New Cub Could Out-Cute Knut
New Cub Could Out-Cute Knut

New Cub Could Out-Cute Knut

Nuremberg's tiny 'Snowflake' draws legions of fans, setting up rivalry

(Newser) - 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’...

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