This is baby Knut, the polar bear that was rejected by its mother Tosca after Knut was born on December 5, 2006. He weighed only 19 pounds (9 kilograms). Berlin zoo employee Thomas Doerflein plays with polar bear cub Knut in this picture. Knut had to be reared by hand and bottle-fed by Doerflein at the Berlin Zoo in Germany. They had a very special bond that is almost never seen between human and polar bear. Photo #1 by Jeremy C. Munns
This is Knut during his debut at the Berlin Zoo on 23 March 2007. He became a superstar overnight, capturing hearts worldwide. Photo #2 by Jens Koßmagk
Wet, wee Knut. Photo #3 by Andrea & Stephan
Knut & Thomas Dörflein at Berlin Zoo. His keeper Thomas Dörflein would bottle-feed Knut and strum Elvis Presley songs for him on a guitar. Photo #4 by Andrea & Stephan
Wanna Play, Daddy? Knut seems to be asking at the Berlin Zoo in 2007. Photo #5 by everyone’s idle (“mgdtgd”) Berlin
Knut – a superstar at Berlin Zoo with Doerflein on 03/31/07. Photo #6 by nayrb7
Knut standing up with Doerflein. Photo #7 by Kai Schreiber
Thomas Dörflein playing with baby Knut in 2007. Photo #8 by Jean-Luc 2005
Although some activists say that Knut did not belong in a zoo, it is hard to see these pictures and still not see the special bond and love between Thomas Dörflein and the polar bear Knut in May 2007. Photo #9 by Jean-Luc 2005
Knut as if saying, “I love you, too.” Photo #10 by Kim S dearbarbie
Knut being nutty in 2007. Photo #11 by Herbert Orth
2007 Knut at Berlin Zoo. Photo #12 by jtriefen
August 2007 – Knut looks huge but he’s actually still a baby, not even a year old. Photo #13 by Matthias Zirngibl (“tscherno”), Germany
Knut at Berlin Zoo – 2007. Knut is only 10 months old and still growing. Photo #14 by Aconcagua
Knut looking scruffy and dirty in 2007 at Berlin Zoo. Photo #15 by L_K_M / Lucas Mathis, Zürich, Switzerland
Berlin Zoo – Polar bear Knut at the age of 10 months. Photo #16 by Aconcagua
Polar bear Knut, still a cub, at the age of 10 months Berlin Zoo. Photo #17 by Aconcagua
Knut at Berlin Zoo in 2008. Photo #18 by Jeses
In 2008, this photo is of Polar Bear Knut at the Berlin Zoo when he was the age of nearly 1 1/4 years. Photo #19 by Gabriele Delhey
Muddy Knut. He was a polar bear who liked to play with mud. Photo #20 by pelican
Polar Bear Knut at age 2. I wonder if Knut had grown lonely? His friend and keeper and perhaps even what he considered a dad, Doerflein, had died at 44 of a heart attack in 2008. Photo #21 by Aconcagua
Polar Bear Knut at age 2. Photo #22 by Aconcagua
Knut is 2 years old here. Experts expressed concern over Knut’s behavior which was considered abnormal due to all the human attention. He would mimic humans sometimes by lifting a hand to his face as if he too was taking a photo. Photo #23 by Aconcagua
Knut at Berlin Zoo in 2009. Photo #24 by Flavio Ensiki
Knut seems to be saying, “Hey you!” Photo #25 by Aconcagua
This is Knut sticking out his tongue in 2010. Photo #26 by Matt Biddulph
Berlin Zoo, Germany, Polar Bear Knut. Photo #27 by Nigel Swalesh
Polar Bear Knut shaking the water off in 2010. Photo #28 by Benjamin Janecke
This was Knut in February 2011. Photo #29 by Benjamin Janecke
Knut at the Berlin Zoo in February 2011. In March, Knut was found dead in the water by zoo officials. He was only 4 years and three months old, which was well below the average life expectancy for polar bears of around age 35. It raised the question all over again of whether or not polar bears belong in zoos. Rest in peace, Knut, you were a superstar with millions of fans worldwide. Photo #30 by Marmontel
R.I.P.
Knut was a very special animal, who, now is resting in peace and light, closely to Thomas. Knut was special because also Thomas Dorflein was a special person.
Rest in peace and in the light of God!
rest in peace knut!
what a shame he died so young
Great pictures and a great story.
Animals are not happy in zoos. Rest in peace Knut.
Now Now, he could not have survived in the wold he was raised in captivity releasing him would have been an even earlier death sentence. Most animals in Zoo’s where raised in captivity as well due to injuries or abandonment. Some animals are very happy in zoos Knut seemed to be very happy especially with his daddy.
I read somewhere that he had a brain abnormality…could have contributed to his behavior. I think zoos do the best they can to promote a message of conservation to the world.
How sad!! He had a good life, and seemed happy. RIP Knut.
RIP Knut <3
There will never be another Knut. Love and miss you Knut.
This is heartbreaking. RIP Knut.
What a beautiful bear Knut was. I look at photo’s of Knut and Thomas Doerflein and cant believe that they are both gone. Berlin Zoo has a lot to answer for. If Knut died due to brain inflammation, why wasnt it picked up? Why wasnt this gorgeous bear that generated so much revenue for the zoo, medically checked over? Keepers noticed abnormal behaviour well before Knut passed so why wasnt something done about it. Who is this director Bernhard Blaskiewitz of the Berlin Zoo. Why havent the people of Germany requested his resignation? Relocate all the animals, shutdown Berlin Zoo and send Bernhard Blaskiewitz and keepers to stand trial for cruelty and lack of “Duty of Care”.
Now you talk of stuffing this bear that should never have been under the care of the Berlin Zoo.
STUFF BLASKIEWITZ ALIVE….. I LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING HIM SOME DAY … FACE TO FACE
Please step off your psyco PMS trip.
It’s just an animal, that died by natural cources, just like millions of animals do every day.
Remember, in nature Knut would have been dead just few hours after he was born, because of the mother abandoned him.
Right on ROSE—-Don’t let anyone tell you different—many have realized that foul play was involved –Thomas wanted to bring him to live with him in a better place—but they would not have it and Thomas was going to fight???????? heart attack–??? Knute –read the comments—some peopkle have said that the death of Knute was not normal— you just can’t kill people or animals without God watching =-Bad Karma comin g their way…
I don’t believe in zoos, they are really cruel to me. I don’t understand why we should lock animals up so little kids with sticky fingers and snotty noses can gawk at them and poke them. Isn’t that what photos are for? So we can look at the animals. Animals belong in the wild. It’s really upsetting. Poor Knut might have lived to about 40 in the wild. Poor Knut. Zoos are practically torturing these poor animals. RIP Knut.
If the polar bear was in the wild, he would have died at 4 months not 4 years. Also if you haven’t checked lately, but the polar bear natural “wild” habitat is melting away and the species is dying. Now some Zoos do not follow code true, but the good Zoos are all about raising awareness and money for conservation. If it weren’t for Zoos that did that than a lot of animals you belove would be extinct.
On a side note, I believe that money should have been allocated to Knut’s medical check ups because he gave so much profit and he had defects from his early abandonment.
I dont agree with all zoos, many are poorly run, and dont give enough room to the animals, but if these animals arent kept in zoos, they will disappear from existence because of humans destroying what little habitats they have left.
There are a lot of fantastic zoos out there. People can’t poke the animals at any zoo I’ve ever been to. “The wild” is dying out, and if zoos don’t house these animals, they will be extinct.
@Emily
You are an idiot if you think this polar bear would have lived to be 40 in the wild… ITS MOTHER ABANDONED IT AT BIRTH.
P.S. nobody cares about your opinion
Awwww, so sad! Knut had a hard life, being rejected by his mother and being kept in a zoo. Animals should be born in the wild and live in the wild. RIP Knut.
Great pictures. R.I.P. Knut
I fart in your general direction
Great pictures, but peoples comments are pathetic.
Knut was Sick and had been sick. he was raised my human than human who cared dies, money maker is not as cute any more , he depends on man to take care of him and instead he is neglected look at this, these some thing is wrong http://youtu.be/dEwx2UvKHqQ and a elephant 5 years old just dies at same zoo
its amazing how animals and humans can have bonds like that kinda reminds me of me and my cat max and this sucks he died he was really cute and he looked happy with the zoo keeper that cared so much about him R.I.P Knut you shall be missed by many
i love how all you fags say he would have died in the wild at 4 months.. you have no idea what you’re talking about, because the mothers stay with their cubs up to 2 or 3 years…. yeah, because i definitely believe a mother polar bear would let it’s child die
Its mother abandoned it sooo yea it would have died very quickly
it was animal rights activists obviously. probably poisoned him. deuchbags…
he died of natural causes there WAS something wrong from the beggining,if his mother abandoned him thats natural instinct for an animal to do so if there IS something wrong with the baby
Awh, he is adorable! Rest in peace!
We love you Knut. Rest in peace. We hope you and Thomas Doerflein are in heaven together having a great time. God bless the both of you. We miss you both.
Knut was a beautiful polar bear. He certainly missed his animal handler Thomas Doerflein. I’m quite sure Knut died of a broken heart due to missing his friend. Now I Knut and Thomas are together again and nobody can harm them. They are together forever.
There was something wrong with knut from birth, a physical defect or such, that is the reason the mother abandoned him, its the instinct of the mother of a defected cub to abandon it. If Knut had not been sent to the zoo he would have died within the week from predators, or lack of food. Knut is lucky that he lived such a fulfilling life
I am so sad to hear of Knut’s death. I’m happy he had such a good life and was so well cared for. I’m sure if there is an animal heaven..he’s there
[…] was kept in an incubator for 44 days and then bottle fed. Zoo visitors were delighted with baby Knut, but at the age of four he had a spasm and drowned. The brain problems that killed him were likely […]
[…] love polar bears at any time, even sad times like when we did a tribute to superstar Knut, but most of these shots are of polar bears roaming and surviving in the wild. While these polar […]