Knut (German pronunciation: [ˈknuːt] ⓘ; 5 December 2006 – 19 March 2011) was an orphaned polar bear born in captivity at the Berlin Zoological Garden.

[1] After the German tabloid newspaper Bild ran a quote from an animal rights activist that decried keeping the cub in captivity, fans worldwide rallied in support of his being hand-raised by humans.

[3] Zookeepers rescued the cubs by scooping them out of the enclosure with an extended fishing net,[3] but Knut's brother died of an infection four days later.

[7] In early March 2007, German tabloid Bild-Zeitung carried a quote by animal rights activist Frank Albrecht who said that Knut should have been killed rather than be raised by humans.

[10] The Berlin Zoo rallied in support of the baby polar bear, vowing not to harm him and rejecting the suggestion that it would be kinder to euthanise him.

[14] Around 400 journalists visited the Berlin Zoo on what was dubbed "Knut Day" to report on the cub's first public appearance to a worldwide audience.

[15] Because Knut became the focus of worldwide media at a very young age, many stories and false alarms regarding the cub's health and well-being were circulated during his first year.

For example, on 16 April 2007, Knut was removed from display due to teething pains resulting from the growth of his right upper canine tooth, but initial reports stated that he was suffering from an unknown illness and subsequently put on antibiotics.

After reaching seven months old and 50 kg (110 lb) in July 2007, Knut's scheduled twice daily public appearances were canceled due to the zoo's concern for the safety of his keeper.

While visitor numbers dwindled from extreme highs in March and April, Knut remained a major attraction at the zoo for the rest of 2007.

Knut's restricted diet, intended to curtail the natural weight gain necessary to survive harsh winters, made headlines outside of Germany.

[26] In November 2007 and weighing over 90 kg (198 lb), Knut was deemed too dangerous for close handling and his interaction with human handlers was further diminished.

[29] When Flocke was born at the Nuremberg Zoo in December 2007 under similar circumstances, Bild dubbed her Mrs. Knut, suggesting that the two German-born polar bears might become mates when they matured.

Peter Drüwa, the zoo director at Neumünster, stated that they "do not want to remove Knut from his environment, but we have a right to our request for money.

The zoo later released statements that they wish to keep Knut, and the mayor of Berlin, Klaus Wowereit, also declared he wanted the still-adolescent cub to stay in the capital.

[38] Giovanna, a female polar bear roughly the same age as Knut, was relocated to Berlin from Munich's Hellabrunn Animal Garden in September 2009.

She was presented to the public on 23 September, and was due to briefly share Knut's enclosure while her regular home in Munich underwent repairs.

[40] However, in March 2010, the German chapter of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals called for Knut to be castrated in order to avoid inbreeding; he and Giovanna share a grandfather and, according to PETA spokesman Frank Albrecht, the same animal rights activist who spoke out about Knut's handraising three years earlier, their offspring would threaten the genetic diversity of the German polar bear population.

[46] Witnesses reported that after the bear's rear left leg began shaking; he became agitated before convulsing several times and falling backwards into the pool.

[49] Animal welfare organizations in Germany initially accused the Berlin Zoo of negligence, claiming that Knut died of stress caused by being forced to share his enclosure with three female polar bears.

"[53][54] In January 2014, Knut's full autopsy results were published by the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research in the Journal of Comparative Pathology.

"[62] From 13 June until 1 September 2013, Knut went on display in the Naturalis Biodiversity Center, the Dutch national museum of natural history in Leiden, Netherlands.

[70] Candy company Haribo released a raspberry-flavored gummy bear sweet called Cuddly Knut beginning in April 2007.

[72][73] In Britain, musical comedian Mitch Benn has performed four songs about Knut for BBC Radio 4 satirical series The Now Show: "The Baby Bear Must DIE!

[77] A blog with updates about the polar bear was maintained by a journalist at the regional public broadcaster Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg; it was available in German, English, and Spanish.

On 29 March 2007 he appeared on the cover of the German Vanity Fair magazine, which included a several page spread about the cub's life.

[67] On 1 May 2007, it was announced that New York-based Turtle Pond Publications and the Berlin Zoo had signed a deal for the worldwide publishing rights to Knut with the hopes of raising awareness of global warming issues.

[81] Dr. Gerald Uhlich, of the Berlin zoo's board of trustees, stated that because of his vast popularity, Knut had become a means of communication and that he had the ability to "draw attention to the environment in a nice way.

"[84] As a result, the German Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel officially adopted Knut as the mascot for a conference on endangered species to be held in Bonn in 2008.

[85] The polar bear has also been depicted on the logo for the German Environment Minister's campaign to help stop global warming[27] and a 2008 special issue stamp.