"knut Day" in Berlin?!

crofty

24 Mar 07, 12:14

Fri Mar 23, 10:26 AM ET

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's youngest celebrity, Knut the polar bear cub, made his much-anticipated public debut at Berlin Zoo Friday and appeared unfazed by the media scrum surrounding his first excursion.

The three-and-a-half-month old white cub padded gingerly round his new enclosure to the gasps and sighs of onlookers.

Fortified by a breakfast of porridge, the puppy-sized cub sniffed the grass and rolled in the dust before delighting the crowds by splashing in a pond.

"I want to take him home," said Daniel Wolff, five, whose mother had bought him a specially made "Knut" cuddly polar bear toy on sale on a stand outside the enclosure.

Knut stole the heart of Berliners after he was born in December but rejected by his mother Tosca. A bearded zookeeper moved into the enclosure to look after him round the clock.

But Knut's fate grabbed global attention after an animal rights campaigner said hand-rearing polar bears was a violation of animal rights. German media interpreted his comments as a call for Knut to be put to sleep.

"We are not worried about Knut's future," Berlin Zoo vet Andre Schuele told reporters. "As a male he will grow big and strong. Polar bears are loners and he will be fine -- it doesn't matter that he has been hand-reared."

At least 200 journalists from around the globe gathered at the zoo for "Knut Day," and his outing threatened to overshadow the start of a major EU summit taking place in the capital at the weekend, zoo official Ragnar Kuehne said.

"There is always something special about bringing up a baby polar bear on a bottle and with Knut, the added fear that he might die bolstered solidarity for the bear," said Kuehne.

Cameramen from Japan, the United States, Brazil and Finland jostled on ladders to take the best pictures. German television channels covered Knut's first public steps live and some newspaper journalists had to post live podcasts of the occasion.

Knut has also drawn attention to the plight of polar bears as worries grow that global warming is contributing to the melting of their habitat.

German Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel has adopted Knut and used his appearance to further the debate on climate change.

"Knut is in safe hands here but worldwide polar bears are in danger and if Knut can help the cause, then that is a good thing," said the minister as he accompanied Knut on his walk and tickled his chin for the cameras.

the Bear

24 Mar 07, 12:19

cute little fella... why the mother rejected him? Neutral

anyway, the activists lost their rights to being heard when they sold their souls to the God of Stupidity

kiseki

24 Mar 07, 12:19

so cute !!!

crofty

24 Mar 07, 12:28

Originally posted by kiseki:
so cute !!!

I agree that it is cute..cant deny Mr. Green

Maurince

7 Apr 07, 14:05

The Smarter Than Average Bear? Knut.. Laughing

crofty

7 Apr 07, 14:10

Originally posted by Maurince:

The Smarter Than Average Bear? Knut..

CUTE

allentyb

7 Apr 07, 14:12

i want to keep it as pet Embarassed

crofty

7 Apr 07, 14:20

Originally posted by allentyb:
i want to keep it as pet

me too

I wonder if knut have little knuts in the future..how much is the price Embarassed

Maurince

7 Apr 07, 14:35

The fluffy baby bear has become Germany's latest merchandising sensation, inspiring Knut T-shirts, Knut mugs, Knut postcards, Knut DVDs, Knut keychains, Knut candy and stuffed Knuts costing up to EUR29.95 (US$40).

Born at the zoo on Dec. 5, Knut - who was rejected by his mother and hand-raised by zookeepers - rose to fame last month thanks to television and newspaper pictures. Since then, Knutmania has just kept on gathering steam.

Together with Leonardo DiCaprio, he appears on the cover of Vanity Fair's current May issue, with pictures taken by star photographer Annie Leibovitz. He has the cover of the German edition all to himself.

Zoo officials say attendance has roughly doubled on average since Knut came along.

"Obviously, his innocent, babylike looks are an important reason," said Peter Walschburger, a psychologist at the Free University in Berlin, adding that Knut's white fur and soft, round features made people want to protect him.

The merchandizing frenzy now includes a special collection by German toy maker Steiff GmbH. Since January, the company has been selling 800 Knut bears every day, said sales director Gerald Uhlich.

The stuffed animals come in three sizes and cost from EUR19.95 (US$26.60) to EUR29.95 (US$40). Steiff has a license deal with the zoo and will invest part of its profit in projects there.

Haribo, the German candy company that makes gummi bears, has created a white, marshmallow-like Knut candy that will hit grocery stores across Germany and Austria next week. The candymaker also will contribute part of its proceeds to the zoo.

"Our Knut candies have raspberry flavor and are sold in boxes of 150 pieces or over the counter for five cents each," Marco Alster, a Haribo spokesman, said Thursday.

Knut even has his own blog in German, English and Spanish - written by a journalist at the regional public broadcaster, Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg.

The Knut marketing phenomenon has also had a dramatic impact on the Berlin Zoo's stock. The shares, which had hovered around the EUR2,000 (US$2,680) over recent years, shot up as high as EUR4,820 (US$6,400) this week.

By Thursday, however, the 4,000 shares, publicly traded on the local Berlin-Bremen Stock Exchange, had settled back to EUR3,700 (US$4,960).

The boom may run its course in the next few months: Unlike his stuffed replicas, cute Knut will soon grow up - into a huge and much less cuddly adult.

http://english.pravda.ru/news/world/06-04-2007/89209-knut-0

crofty

7 Apr 07, 14:38

Originally posted by Maurince:
The fluffy baby bear has become Germany's latest merchandising sensation, inspiring Knut T-shirts, Knut mugs, Knut postcards, Knut DVDs, Knut keychains, Knut candy and stuffed Knuts costing up to EUR29.95 (US$40).

Born at the zoo on Dec. 5, Knut - who was rejected by his mother and hand-raised by zookeepers - rose to fame last month thanks to television and newspaper pictures. Since then, Knutmania has just kept on gathering steam.

Together with Leonardo DiCaprio, he appears on the cover of Vanity Fair's current May issue, with pictures taken by star photographer Annie Leibovitz. He has the cover of the German edition all to himself.

Zoo officials say attendance has roughly doubled on average since Knut came along.

"Obviously, his innocent, babylike looks are an important reason," said Peter Walschburger, a psychologist at the Free University in Berlin, adding that Knut's white fur and soft, round features made people want to protect him.

The merchandizing frenzy now includes a special collection by German toy maker Steiff GmbH. Since January, the company has been selling 800 Knut bears every day, said sales director Gerald Uhlich.

The stuffed animals come in three sizes and cost from EUR19.95 (US$26.60) to EUR29.95 (US$40). Steiff has a license deal with the zoo and will invest part of its profit in projects there.

Haribo, the German candy company that makes gummi bears, has created a white, marshmallow-like Knut candy that will hit grocery stores across Germany and Austria next week. The candymaker also will contribute part of its proceeds to the zoo.

"Our Knut candies have raspberry flavor and are sold in boxes of 150 pieces or over the counter for five cents each," Marco Alster, a Haribo spokesman, said Thursday.

Knut even has his own blog in German, English and Spanish - written by a journalist at the regional public broadcaster, Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg.

The Knut marketing phenomenon has also had a dramatic impact on the Berlin Zoo's stock. The shares, which had hovered around the EUR2,000 (US$2,680) over recent years, shot up as high as EUR4,820 (US$6,400) this week.

By Thursday, however, the 4,000 shares, publicly traded on the local Berlin-Bremen Stock Exchange, had settled back to EUR3,700 (US$4,960).

The boom may run its course in the next few months: Unlike his stuffed replicas, cute Knut will soon grow up - into a huge and much less cuddly adult.

http://english.pravda.ru/news/world/06-04-2007/89209-knut-0

inspiring Knut T-shirts, Knut mugs, Knut postcards, Knut DVDs, Knut keychains, Knut candy and stuffed Knuts costing up to EUR29.95 (US$40). Question