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· Remembered
Knutmania
What happened
Knut was an orphaned polar bear cub at the Berlin Zoological Garden, the first cub there to survive infancy in more than 30 years. Hand-raising sparked a tabloid fight and then a global fan campaign. Ticket and merchandise sales in 2007 made him a commercial phenomenon.
How it unfolded
- Born at Berlin Zoo and rejected by his mother.
- Public debut. Knutmania and branded merchandise follow.
- Collapses and dies in the enclosure. Necropsy later cites brain changes.
Current status
Died 19 March 2011 at age 4 after collapsing in his enclosure. He remains an early case of a zoo animal becoming a worldwide celebrity.