Daily Talk Forum
  • Advertise
  • Search
  • Member List
  • Calendar
Hello There, Guest! Login Register
Daily Talk Forum › General Discussions › Current Affairs, News and Politics v
« Previous 1 ... 30 31 32 33 34 ... 172 Next »

Polar bear Knut's keeper dies



Post Reply 
 
Thread Rating:
  • 0 Votes - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Threaded Mode | Linear Mode
Polar bear Knut's keeper dies
cyrano Offline
Diamond Member
*****
Diamond Members

Posts: 3,573
Joined: May 2007
Reputation: 3
Post: #1
Polar bear Knut's keeper dies

BERLIN, Germany (AP) -- -- The zookeeper who gained fame for hand-rearing the beloved polar bear Knut was found dead in his Berlin apartment Monday.

[Image: 1383324303_1112a60cf9.jpg]
A spokeswoman for Berlin police said Thomas Doerflein was dead when authorities arrived at the apartment and that they had no information on the cause of death.

Doerflein, 44, gained fame in Germany and beyond as the ever-present caretaker for Knut, a polar bear cub abandoned by his mother in late 2006.

Knut became a worldwide sensation when the Berlin Zoo decided to raise him by hand, and Doerflein was there for every stage of the bear's progress.

With his burly build, beard and ponytail, Doerflein was a distinctive figure at the side of the growing bear.

He nursed young Knut in his arms behind closed doors and wrestled with him after the bear grew old enough to play.

When Knut made his public debut in March 2007, Doerflein was at his side. They started a daily performance for the thousands of visitors who flocked to see the bear at his outdoor enclosure.

But the 'Knut show' ended in July of that year when the zoo's director ruled that the bear had grown too large for Doerflein to frolic with in safety.

The boisterous bear now weighs more than 120 kilograms (265 pounds), has his own feature-length film, blog and TV show. He has graced the cover of German Vanity Fair and appeared on a set of stamps.

The Berlin Zoo credited Knut with a 27 percent increase in visitors in 2007 and profits of nearly 6.8 million euros ($9.9 million). It has licensing agreements for all kinds of Knut products, including stuffed animals, T-shirts, mugs and DVDs.

Last November Doerflein was awarded Berlin's medal of merit for his service to the city -- and to Knut.

Doerflein worked at the zoo for more than 25 years. According to the newspaper Die Welt, Doerflein was a Berlin native with two grown children. He lived with his girlfriend and her young son.
09-23-2008 06:46 AM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply


« Next Oldest | Next Newest »
Post Reply 


Possibly Related Threads...
Thread: Author Replies: Views: Last Post
  Raoul Moat dies after shooting himself during armed police stand-off forwardone 5 2,584 09-11-2011 06:23 AM
Last Post: ItzAngel
  Schindler's List typist dies in Germany Int News 1 975 09-11-2011 04:20 AM
Last Post: George
  Grease, Taxi actor Conaway dies at 60 Int News 1 1,120 06-15-2011 02:44 AM
Last Post: Jack
  Briton Dies After Tourist Boat Sinks forwardone 0 1,013 02-17-2011 11:11 AM
Last Post: forwardone
  Comedy legend Leslie Nielsen dies in hospital at the age of 84 forwardone 0 907 11-29-2010 12:57 PM
Last Post: forwardone

  • View a Printable Version
  • Send this Thread to a Friend
  • Subscribe to this thread
Forum Jump:


User(s) browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)

Advertise on Daily Talk Forum
  • Webmaster Forum
  • cPanel Hosting
  • SEO Directory
  • Toronto
    • Contact Us
    • Daily Talk Forum
    • Return to Top
    • Lite (Archive) Mode
    • RSS Syndication
    • Help
    • Portal
    • Membership
    • Advertise
    • Banners
    • Privacy
    • Rules

    • Review DTF at Alexa
    • Review DTF at Nortons
    • Site Map

    • Links
    • Your Link Here
    Current time: 01-16-2021, 03:14 PM Powered By MyBB, © 2002-2021 MyBB Group Theme created by Justin S