Berlin Zoo Makes Polar Bear Cub A Solo Act

Shows Considered Unsafe For Keeper As Knut Nears 110 Pounds

(AP)  The show is over: The Berlin zoo's fast-growing polar bear cub, Knut, won't be appearing anymore with the keeper who raised him.

The zoo said Monday that it has ended 7-month-old Knut's twice-daily public appearances with keeper Thomas Doerflein.

The playful pair have delighted audiences since Knut; then an irresistibly cute 20-pound cub; made his first public appearance in late March. Now nearing about 110 pounds, the boisterous bear, which will remain on public view, will have his enclosure all to himself.

"Mr. Doerflein's safety counts first of all, of course," zoo spokeswoman Regine Damm said. The zoo also has Knut's independence in mind, she added, as it prepares the bear to "associate with other bears and not with other people."

Born Dec. 5, Knut has been raised by Doerflein and other zoo staff since his mother rejected him and another cub that died. Knut went on public show March 23.

Doerflein said he remains on hand for Knut, although he will no longer play in public with the growing predator.

"This doesn't mean that I will never play with Knut again; it just means there are no fixed times anymore," he was quoted as saying by the daily B.Z. "I am always there for him. Knut is still a child; he needs me."

Doerflein said, however, that he feels "burnt out" after months of frolicking with Knut, and made clear that he has not always enjoyed being a celebrity in his own right.

"That is the worst thing. People want autographs, to touch me," he said. "When I am with my girlfriend, they invite me (for a drink); when I say 'no,' they get aggressive."

[n_in_berlin]

whew! I just missed the cut-off! I finally got over to the zoo to see Knut last week. I'm so glad I did. Even after months of seeing him on Berlin tv every night, it was great to see him in person interacting with Thomas. He still really is CUTE, even tho he's growing up.

In Germany they are also using Knut to give more publicity to the plight of the polar bears in the wild.

[samthetvcat]

I'm so sad for Knut - he doesn't understand, and supposedly has some abandonment depression. Hopefully they will find him some bear friends to play with . . .

[tbweb]

This Bear is more popular than Pres. Bush! Sad.

[grammawhamma]

Funny how the guy complains of the people being aggressive instead of the bear...I think I might tend to agree with him on that. At least while the bear is still a youngster.

[rushlimpdrug]

I was hoping to visit the zoo when the bear got big enough to devour the Knut.
Thanks for spoiling it.
Guess I'll take back the camera.

[beadazzle]

As cute as this polar bear is,they are doing the right thing for the little guy,who could reach 1300 pounds and as much as 10 feet tall,and could do some real damage to this guy if he were to continue to play with the bear.

Polar bears should be on the endangered species list but as of now they are not even though their home is slowly melting away. It is believed that there may be as many as 25,000 left and when you think about it,that really isn't much,considering how many cubs die each year,either through starvation or male bears eating them and it takes mother bears upwards of two years and a bit more to raise the cubs.

That basically means it takes that long before a mother bear will come in to heat to breed again and at that slow of a rate yes they could disappear in my life time and yours. I'm 52.

What a lose that would be.

[luigi999-2009]

Long live Knut!

[tnt1954]

the pole. the poles. the bi-polar polar bear.
why are there no polar bears at the south pole?
uni-polar? water molecules are bi-polar.