Jezebel: Knut

Knut The Polar Bear Is No Longer With Us

Lane Moore — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 16:20:00 EDT

Star of the Berlin zoo, Knut, rose to fame when he was hand-raised by zoo keepers after his mother rejected him at birth. He died today at the age of 4 while alone in his compound. The cause of his death is not yet clear; a post mortem is slated to be conducted on Monday to try to pinpoint what happened. More »

PETA Scientists Claim Knut Is Psychologically Disturbed

Margaret Hartmann — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 12:40:00 EDT

Knut the polar bear is "definitely displaying behavioral problems," according to PETA scientists who point to Knut's swaying back and forth, imitating picture-taking tourists, and having "panic attacks." A Berlin Zoo rep say this is "ridiculous." [AFP via Newser] More »

All Grown Up

Katy Kelleher — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 09:20:00 EDT

Remember when Knut was a tiny, adorable ball of white fur? Now everyone's favorite cub is a man - or a 300-pound sex machine. "He's going to be our new stud bull," said the Berlin Zoo director. [TheSun] More »

PETA Calls For Knut's Castration

Katy Kelleher — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 09:40:00 EST

The German chapter of PETA wants to remove Knut's nuts! The animal rights group warns that if Knut is allowed to mate with his live-in cousin Gianna, he could threaten the gene pool and risk "incest depression." [Sydney Morning Herald] More »

TGIF

Dodai Stewart — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:50:00 EST

[Berlin, January 8. Image via Getty.]

Were Dogs Originally Man's Best Meal? • Farmers In India Selling Wives To Pay Debts

Katy Kelleher — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 17:40:00 EDT

• We're so used to thinking of dogs as companions that we often forget the most basic reason people buddy up to animals: Food. A new study suggests wolves were first domesticated in southeastern China for their meat. • More »

Knut To Stay In Berlin Zoo • Drunk Badger Disrupts Traffic

Katy Kelleher — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:00:00 EDT

• Famous German polar bear Knut will not be leaving his home at the Berlin Zoo, despite claims that the Neumuenster Zoo is the true owner of the furry celebrity. Also: here's an adorable video of Knut swimming. • More »

Sometimes You Feel Like A Knut

Anna Holmes — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 16:10:00 EST

[Berlin, Germany; January 7. Images via Getty]

Making A Buck Off Knut

Margaret Hartmann — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 10:45:00 EST

The son of the late German zookeeper who cared for Knut the polar bear is selling his father's possessions on eBay. More »

Knut The Polar Bear Falls Victim to Child Star Syndrome

Margaret Hartmann — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 13:20:00 EST

Two years ago the adorable polar bear cub Knut was an international star, photographed by Annie Leibovitz and featured on the cover of Vanity Fair with Leonardo DiCaprio. Today Good Morning America took a look at where the former child star is now, and found that the adult Knut weighs in at 500 lbs, is surly, disheveled, and just looking to find a mate. Which is why the Berlin Zoo is trying to sell him. Clip above. More »

The Bear Market

Maria — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 09:40:00 EST

You really know times are tough when even the world's cutest polar bear doesn't have any job security. Knut the polar bear literally wallowed in the dirt today after officials from the Berlin Zoo announced that they could no longer afford to keep him. Naturally, Berliners are outraged and 21,000 of the city's dwellers have signed a petition asking for Knut to stay. The Berlin Zoo says that Knut must leave by 2010, when he is expected to be transferred to a zoo in Gelsenkirchen where there is a young female polar bear named Lara. [Daily Mail] More »

Knut Zookeeper Found Dead • Cloistered Spanish Nuns Start Cooking Show

Maria — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 17:30:00 EDT

• Thomas Doerflein, the German zookeeper who cared for Knut, was found dead in his Berlin apartment today. He was 44. • Baleka Mbete may become the first South African female President after the forced resignation of Thabo Mbeki and before the installment of future South African President Jacob Zuma who cannot take over the country just yet because he is not a member of parliament. • Lesbian couples in Australia who have children via artificial fertilization can now have both mothers' names on birth certificates, granting them equal parental rights. • Marjorie Knoller, an attorney from California whose pit bulls mauled her neighbor to death in 2001 was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison after a judge reinstated second-degree manslaughter convictions that had previously been thrown out. • More »

Reader Roundup

Jessica G. — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 16:50:00 EST

Best Comment of the Day, in response to Animal Magnetisms: "OMG, [Knut's] the Britney Spears of the zoo circuit. Exploited and overexposed too young, driven mad by celebrity, his downward spiral documented internationally for a gossip-hungry public." We say: Gimme ROAR. • Worst, in response to Are Humans Built For Monogamy?: "Honestly, there has to be a way to paraphrase your conversations instead of (lazily, in my opinion) just posting an entire IM. It's impossible to follow. Also, doesn't this topic come up every couple of months? Is there anything new to say about it?" We say: Like we told the Mormon kids who protested about the heathen TV at Gold's Gym: Don't like it? Nobody's making you look. More »

Poor, beleaguered German polar bear Knut....

Jessica G. — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 13:45:00 EST

Poor, beleaguered German polar bear Knut. He was rejected by his mother when he was born, and now zoologists are describing him as a "psychopath." According to the Independent, Knut is "disconcerting" close up because of his "filthy brownish grey colour," and Dr. Peter Arras, who called Knut a nutbag, says "Knut won't manage anything with a female bear, I guarantee that." Whatever, who needs offspring when you've got a Vanity Fair cover? [Independent] More »

The Germans, not doing much to combat any...

Jennifer — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 12:40:00 EST

The Germans, not doing much to combat any lingering stereotypes that they have the right to play God with the lives of innocents, have decided to let a still-unknown number of newborn polar bear cubs die, rather than hand-rear them and put the country through "Knutomania" all over again. The cubs were born in Nuremberg (oh, the irony) to two mothers (dubbed Wilma and Vera) who show little interest in rearing them. Update: Vera just ate one of her cubs. Hope you're happy now, Germans. [Das Spiegel; Reuters] More »

Loose Lips

Jessica G. — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 11:45:00 EST

Film producer Ash R. Shah has offered the Berlin Zoo $5 million for the rights to Knut the polar bear's story. But that's not all! Shah allegedly wants Suri Cruise to voice the formerly beleaguered bear. So far, the script consists of gurgling sounds and the words "mama" and "poopy." • Here's some pictures of Lindsay Lohan dry humping some dude at a bar in Italy. Straight class! • Speaking of classy, Pam Anderson rang in the New Year at LAX in Vegas. [Dlisted, Mollygood, A Socialite's Life] More »

Reader Roundup

Jessica — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 16:45:00 EST

Best Comment of the Day, in response to Girl Power: "Who are they fooling? They just want her to get a man because he'll have to get with her friends too." We say: we thought the Spices made their position on group sex clear back in 1996: It's 2 become 1, y'all. • Worst, in response to The Real Beasts At Zoos Are Not Always In Cages : "People come first, then animals and if I want to go to a zoo and look at captive animals, it is totally my right. It is NOT the right of the animal to live in the wild." We say: Um, even if you were just trying to start shit, honey, we are still going to sic Knut on your ass. [Image from Oh! My God! I Miss You.] More »

Reader Roundup

Jessica — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 16:30:00 EST

Best Comment of the Day, in response to Big Bears, You Are Beautiful: "You hear that, polar bear ladies? Knut's just been bear mitzvahed." Because picturing a polar bear in a yarmulke made my day. • Worst, in response to Teacher Who Had Sex With Student Back In The Clink Because Of "Girl Talk": "she's a HOT female. where was this chick when i was in eighth grade!?" Because even though you were a horny 14-year-old, doesn't mean you should downplay the victimization of a child by an adult. More »

Knut the polar bear, one-time star of the...

Jennifer — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 10:45:00 EST

Knut the polar bear, one-time star of the Berlin Zoo before he went all Effie White and got too fat to be a star, celebrated his first birthday yesterday. Knut now weighs a whopping 240 lbs. Here's what his first year will bring, according to his caretaker: "A spacious enclosure. A female partner. At some point, Knut needs to leave me." [CNN] More »

Is This Freakin' Day Over Yet?

Dodai Stewart — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 18:15:00 EDT