Knut The Polar Bear's Keeper Found Dead

44-Year-Old Caretaker At Berlin Zoo Raised Abandoned Cub That Became World Sensation

(AP)  The zookeeper who gained fame for hand-rearing the beloved polar bear Knut was found dead in his Berlin apartment Monday.

A spokeswoman for Berlin police said Thomas Doerflein was dead when authorities arrived at the apartment and that they had no information on the cause of death.

Doerflein was 44 years old.

He gained fame in Germany and beyond as the ever-present caretaker for Knut, a polar bear cub abandoned by his mother in late 2006.

Knut became a worldwide sensation when the Berlin Zoo decided to raise him by hand, and Doerflein was there for every stage of the bear's progress.

With his burly build, beard and ponytail, Doerflein was a distinctive figure at the side of the growing bear. He nursed young Knut in his arms behind closed doors and wrestled with him after the bear grew old enough to play.

When Knut made his public debut in March 2007, Doerflein was at his side. They started a daily performance for the thousands of visitors who flocked to see the bear at his outdoor enclosure.

But the "Knut Show" ended in July of that year when the zoo's director ruled that the bear had grown too large for Doerflein to frolic with in safety.

The boisterous bear now weighs more than 265 pounds, has his own feature-length film, blog and TV show. He has graced the cover of German Vanity Fair and appeared on a set of stamps.

The Berlin Zoo credited Knut with a 27 percent increase in visitors in 2007 and profits of nearly €6.8 million ($9.9 million). It has licensing agreements for all kinds of Knut products, including stuffed animals, T-shirts, mugs and DVDs.

Last November Doerflein was awarded Berlin's medal of merit for his service to the city - and to Knut.

Doerflein worked at the zoo for more than 25 years. According to the newspaper Die Welt, Doerflein was a Berlin native with two grown children. He lived with his girlfriend and her young son.

[smurfcrusher]

how sad.

[xmanborg]

Very Sad Story.

Best wishes to his Two Grown Children & His Girlfriend and her young son.

[sunspro]

So sad. He''s Knut''s mom.

[usclimey]

That''s awful - I have an early picture of the two on my wallpaper. Your family and Knut will miss you, Thomas.

[usclimey]

Posted by U2PlayNice

Very inappropriate idiot.

[rosesnpearls]

Do not even think about putting Sarah Palin''s name in the same sentence with creapy, disgustin, community organizer, trouble maker Al Sharpton. This article is about the loss of a life, keep your weird politics in a more appropriate zoo.

[mollydtt]

I''m very sad to read this news. I appreciated his hard work and love for little Knut (Big Knut now!) and know that his efforts really brought attention to the Berlin Zoo. My daughter was in Berlin recently, and Knut is still a big part of why people love polar bears there. My condolences to his friends and family.

[easeup-2009]

Maybe Knut was getting to big for his britches & the trainer tried to take him down a notch.

There was arguing......a struggle.....the cover-up.....

[kommoncents-2009]

U2playnice: You are a moron.

[sioux4life1]

rosenpearls, lets face it, caribu barbie doens''t even have the brains. She wants to take polar bears off the endangered list so her pals at BP can drill, drill and drill. Personally speaking Caribu is a GOP BIMBO!

[serolod2]

U2PlayNice - what goes around comes around. No one dislikes Palin more than me, but I know better than to wish something like that. You will reap what you sow. What an inappropriate comment to make. It has absolutely NOTHING to do with this story.

The bottom line is that this man tried as best he could to help Knut. He did the best he could as we all should. Get over yourself U2PlayNice.

[billpl-2009]

police.....dusting for paw prints

[lovesamerica]

Only the good die young....

[hbevis]

I wounder why so many people like to put others down and make rude and nasty remarks.

I see that U2PlayNice remarks have been removed. GOOD..

I remember Mr. Doerflein and the Bear. He did a great job and he will be remembered in a positive note.

God bless his family..........

[kurlikew]

How did he die? Nobody has said.

How sad. Prayers to his family. :o(

[credibility2]

How sad. This man not only loved animals in his keep, but he cared for them as family. Knut was lovingly cared for and raised by this man. Blessings for him and his family.

[jd2408]

There is a great video on youtube with the bear and Doerflein. It warms your heart and shows how much he really gave to this little bear. God bless you Doerflein and may you Rest in peace.

[jd2408]

Sorry, I meant to tell you to just go to youtube and key in Knut. There are a couple videos that are really worth seeing.

[cheetah-man7]

Wow.... I was really stunned to read of his death. I remember thinking how much I would love to be this man, who had such a wonderful experience with a wild animal such as Knut. I am just amazed to hear of his death. I hope there was no foul-play involved. My condolences to his family, and to Knut! What a tragic loss!

[incog-nito]

Witnesses reported that a couple of bears were spotted running away from the scene moments before the body was discovered.

[lucasnico]

Palin did it.

[babooph]

She wouldn''t do that -the bear would have been blasted from a chopper.

[usclimey]

The liberals killed him.

Posted by zgomer

A moron showing his funny side. Pathetic.

[pirmin3]

"Be careful how you spell the bear''''s name....People will think you are refering to Cindy McCain... Posted by onemoretim"

Or caribou barbie. ROF

[gmond]

poor guy

[dsr57]

Really? This is world news? A guy that hung out with a polar bear for a year dies and it''s news?

Sad

[jetlizhan]

how very sad. i''m so sorry for his loved ones left behind. any great animal lover is ok with me - he dedicated his whole life to making animals more comfortable and understood in this world.

[mollydtt]

Yes, this IS news. He practically single-handedly raised attendance at the Berlin Zoo by 25 per cent and has made it a bigger tourist attraction ever since. Saving Knut was important. My condolences to Mr. Doerflein''s family and friends.

[jaykay3141]

I had the privilege of seeing "Knut, der Eisbdrjunge" at the Berlin Zoo a year ago. Thomas Dvrflein''s devotion was incredible, and I pray that God will grant his soul eternal peace.

Yes, Knut is "just one more wild animal", but Thomas made sure that there is just one more member of this threatened species alive and well. I cannot understand the hard-hearted comments of some posters who don''t understand that. They''re probably the same kind of person who would deliberately run their car over a bird or rabbit to prove they''re "superior".

[jaykay3141]

So much for CBS''s funky filtering. Not only no bad words allowed, but no umlauts either.

[impeach__w]

The Polar bears in the wild are resorting to cannibalism. Have you heard?

[txpatriot4us]

Ok so how many of you were expecting to hear that the Polar Bear ATE the Guy? The man passed away and probably from natural causes like a heart failure or something.

[jessix1]

Who played with KNUT after his keeper was discharged?

Was there another keeper available to continue a bear-human relationship?

Seems like both would have suffered withdrawal symptoms from the immediate cessation of contact. Bears have feelings too!

[caldwellptr]

Yes, some polar bears in the wild are stressed and are resorting to eating other polar bears.

[bbinfla]

Has Knut been charged with murder yet? Have they figured out how he made it to the apartment.