Knut the Polar Bear
Knut the polar bear is very very cute. Born in captivity late in 2006, he was abandoned by his mother and raised by zoo keeper Thomas Dörflein:
Knut’s need for around-the-clock care required that Dörflein not only sleep on a mattress next to Knut’s sleeping crate at night, but also play with, bathe, and feed the cub daily. Knut’s diet began with a bottle of milk every two hours before graduating at the age of four months to a milk porridge mixed with cat food, vitamins, and cod liver.
Knut’s adorable mug and captivating story brought throngs of curious visitors to the Berlin Zoo in 2007, and resulted in the bear’s elevation to mascot status:
Dr. Gerald Uhlich, of the Berlin zoo’s board of trustees, stated that because of his vast popularity, Knut has become a means of communication and that he has the ability to “draw attention to the environment in a nice way. Not in a threatening, scolding way.” As a result, the German Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel officially adopted Knut as the mascot for a conference on endangered species to be held in Bonn in 2008.
Also, this has to be the first time a polar bear has made the cover of Vanity Fair.
Comments
Nils +1
Correction: Knut WAS cute. Look at how much bigger he got in just a few months! The picture of him way back in October 2007 shows him looking pretty huge and already lacking the cuddly looks he had when he was really young. By now he must be huge and probably hard to play/cuddle with without being crushed.