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Famous polar bear Knut is dead


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"BERLIN — Berlin's beloved polar bear Knut, who rose to stardom when he was hand-raised by zoo keepers after being rejected by his mother rejected at birth, died on Saturday, a zoo official said.

 

The world-famous bear died alone in his compound, bear keeper Heiner Kloes told The Associated Press.

 

"He was by himself in his compound, he was in the water, and then he was dead," said Kloes. "He was not sick, we don't know why he died."

 

A post mortem will be conducted on Monday to try pinpoint his cause of death, he said.

 

Between 600 and 700 people were at Knut's compound and saw the four-year-old bear die, German news agency DAPD reported.

 

Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit called Knut's death "awful."

 

"We all held him so dearly," Wowereit told daily newspaper B.Z. "He was the star of the Berlin zoos."

 

The polar bear rose to global fame after he was rejected by his mother when he was born in captivity on December 5, 2006. The fluffy cub was shown to the public 15 weeks later, and attendance at the zoo has roughly doubled since, officials said.

 

The resulting "Knutmania" led to a 2007 Vanity Fair cover with actor Leonardo DiCaprio shot by famed photographer Annie Leibovitz, a film and plush likenesses. Though the zoo has never released exact numbers, Knut merchandise including postcards, key chains, candy and stuffed Knuts have brought in hundreds of thousands of euros."

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42166988/ns/world_news-europe/

 

What a terrible life. Rejected by his mother and named by someone dyslexic. He's off to polar bear heaven now.

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Guest sibon
And why exactly have you started a thread about this ?

Another utterly pointless news story on a day when the politicians have started a new war in our name in Lybia.

 

Why ever not?

 

The OP is perfectly entitled to start a thread about a famous animal.

 

If you cared so much about Libya, you might get the letters in the correct order.:rolleyes:

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The most interesting angle to this story is how the traditional english version of the name was expunged from the english language in victorian times due to its spelling which was close to a rude word.

I believe that we now have to use the word "canute" to name an old english king for the same reason.

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And why exactly have you started a thread about this ?

Another utterly pointless news story on a day when the politicians have started a new war in our name in Lybia.

 

I will start as many threads about famous polar bears as I see fit and you can't stop me.

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What a way to go though. He literally got shagged to death. I saw him a few years back an he was in a little enclosure and he looked miserable and lonely so I'm glad he had a few months of company and lady polar bear lovin' before he shuffled off this mortal coil.

 

Is that how he died....way to go Polar Bear. :thumbsup:

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