Beloved Polar Bear Knut Dies At 4
BERLIN (AP) — World-famous polar bear Knut died Saturday and officials today were still trying to determine the cause of death.
Bear keeper Heiner Kloes said that four-year-old Knut died Saturday afternoon while alone in his compound.
He says the cause is not yet clear. And officials also say Knut was not sick at the time of his death.
A post mortem conducted today is yet to pinpoint his exact cause of death.
Knut rose to stardom when he was hand-raised by zoo keepers after his mother rejected him at birth.
Knut became an instant sensation in 2007 when just a cub. T-shirts, mugs, videos, books...he quickly became one of the world's most famous animals. The Berlin Zoo said as many as 3 million people came there each year just to see Knut.
Animal rights groups have long criticized the zoo's handling of the once-problem child saying making him dependent on humans led to his many behavioral problems.
Polar bears are known to live up to 35 years in captivity and 15-20 years in the wild.
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