By Stone Martindale Mar 23, 2007, 16:08 GMT
Germany's hottest celebrity has paws, not legs. Knut the polar bear cub made his public debut at Berlin Zoo on Friday and appeared unfazed by the polar paparazzi and crush of onlookers.
The three-and-a-half-month old white cub padded around his new enclosure just killing everyone with his cute little furry self.
Baby Knut had some porridge, sniffed the grass and rolled in the dust before splashing around in a pond.
Knut was initially rejected by his mother Tosca. A dedicated zookeeper moved into the enclosure to look after him round the clock.
An animal rights campaigner protested the saving of Knut, claiming hand-rearing polar bears was a violation of animal rights.
"We are not worried about Knut's future," Berlin Zoo vet Andre Schuele told reporters. "As a male he will grow big and strong. Polar bears are loners and he will be fine -- it doesn't matter that he has been hand-reared."
At least 200 journalists from around the globe gathered at the zoo for "Knut Day", zoo official Ragnar Kuehne said.
"There is always something special about bringing up a baby polar bear on a bottle and with Knut, the added fear that he might die bolstered solidarity for the bear," said Kuehne.
Knut has also drawn attention to the concerns for polar bears in the wild as worries grow that global warming is destoying their natural habitats.
Reuters reports that German Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel has adopted Knut and used his appearance to promote education regarding climate change.
"Knut is in safe hands here but worldwide polar bears are in danger and if Knut can help the cause, then that is a good thing," said the minister as he accompanied Knut on his walk and tickled his chin for the cameras.
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Antique RiceMar 23rd, 2007 - 20:00:20
So whens his reality show coming out?
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