Knut (polar bear)
Knut (IPA: [knʊ:t (c'noot)]) the polar bear was born at the Zoologischer Garten Berlin on 5 December 2006. He was rejected by his mother at birth, and as such, is being raised on a diet of chicken purée.
After the unproblematic gestation time of the 20-year old polar bear Tosca, Knut and his brother were born on 5 December 2006. It was the first polar bear birth at the Berlin Zoo for over thirty years. Tosca, who is a former circus performer, rejected Knut and his brother. After four days, the brother died and Knut was separated from his mother. He spent the first 44 days of his life in an incubator.
On 23 March 2007, Knut was presented to the public for the first time.
Sigmar Gabriel, the German Environment Minister is Knut’s godfather.
The Berlin Zoo continues to care for the polar cub hoping to increase polar bear population. Animal activists argue that Knut is raised by humans too much and he should be killed.
External links
- Official homepage of the Zoologischer Garten Berlin
- Berlin Polar Bear Cub at Center of Animal Rights Brouhaha
- Knut media centre at Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg, with video and picture footage
- Berlin Zoo Readies for Polar Bear Cub, New York Times / AP, March 22, 2007
- He's Too Cute To Bear.., Daily Mirror, January 26, 2007
- Stephen Colbert commentary on the captive raising of polar bears
- Berlin Zoo's baby polar bear must die: activists
- Wrong to save baby polar bear?