By David Crossland
Berlin Zoo has come under fire from fans of its polar bear celebrity Knut for refusing to celebrate his second birthday this Friday and for declining to pledge that it will keep him in the German capital where many see him as a symbol as important as the Brandenburg Gate.
The zoo is evidently tiring of the continuing adulation for Knut, who became a star after being hand-reared when his mother rejected him at birth. It wouldn't comment Wednesday on new speculation that he will be shipped to another zoo in 2009.
Heiner Klös, in charge of the zoo's bear enclosures, told SPIEGEL ONLINE that the fuss surrounding Knut was exaggerated. "We have 14,000 animals here and we won't let our zoo be reduced to just Knut," said Klös. "There are no plans to move him despite all the speculation. But in the long term he won't be able to live in his current enclosure."
Berlin newspapers reported this week that Berlin Zoo wasn't prepared to build a third polar bear enclosure which would be necessary to keep Knut in the long term.
Knut's owner, Neumünster Zoo in northern Germany, has a say in where Knut will end up and its director Peter Drüwa told German news agency DPA on Monday: "Knut will spend Christmas in Berlin, but I'm not so sure he'll spend Easter there."
Neumünster has rights to Knut because his father Lars originated from there. "We will decide where Knut will go," said Drüwa. One report said Knut might end up at a Swedish zoo.
Knut's departure would rob Berlin of a well-established attraction. "Berlin won't just be losing one of its best ambassadors but will also be losing a symbol, much to the regret of many international visitors," said Christian Tänzler, spokesman for the city's tourist board.
Sudden Lack of Attention
Klös said Berlin Zoo won't be marking Knut's second birthday on Dec. 5 even though fans from around Europe and even the United States are coming to Berlin for the occasion.
There's speculation Knut will be bidding farewell to Berlin next year.
As a small cub Knut had a knack for entertaining the crowds as he played ball with his keepers, went swimming in his moat and hid under a blanket.
He earned the zoo around €5 million by attracting around 500,000 extra visitors and spawning merchandise ranging from cuddly toys to Knut-shaped marshmallows.
He now weighs more than 200 kilos and is decidedly less cute, but still attracts visitors. His behavior suggests that he craves human attention, and it's noticeable how often he stands on his hind paws and raises his front ones, apparently copying the gestures of visitors photographing him.
Knut the Healer
"He means a lot to many people. When you're with him you forget your problems for a little while," Hartmut Wiedenroth, the co-founder of "Knut Forever in Berlin," a campaign to keep him in the capital, told SPIEGEL ONLINE.
"People who were ill have told me how Knut helped them pull themselves together," said Wiedenroth, who visits Knut every weekend in the winter and more often in the summer.
"It's unbelievable that they're not throwing a party for Knut," he said. "More than 100 people are coming from all over Europe and even the US just to see this bear who has done so much for Berlin."
Wiedenroth, 60, said his campaign had so far collected more than 21,000 signatures from people around the world since it launched a petition in February to keep Knut at Berlin Zoo. "I think many people would even be prepared to donate money. He's come to symbolize the city just like the Brandenburg Gate does."
Another reason for Knut to remain in Berlin was to preserve the legacy of Thomas Dörflein, the devoted zookeeper who reared him with round-the-clock care and who died suddenly of a heart attack aged 44 in September, said Wiedenroth. "Those two were a dream team and must never be forgotten."
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