Knut Mania Sweeps the Globe

The polar bear cub has brought plenty of attention—along with some lucrative deals—to the Berlin Zoo. But his cute days are numbered

by Andrea Zammert

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It's a perfect recipe for "he's so cuuuute" celebrity. Start with a baby polar bear, rejected by his mother and left alone when his twin brother died at the age of four days. Add a devoted human keeper who slept nightly with the tiny white ball of fur and fed him by hand from a bottle. Toss in a storm of outrage when an animal-rights activist reportedly called for the cub to be euthanized because it had become too conditioned to human contact. (The activist denied saying Knut should be killed.) And then put the whole drama before the world via TV cameras and incessant Internet postings.

Thus was created the phenomenon of Knut, the most celebrated polar bear on the planet. Since his birth last December and first public appearance at the Berlin Zoo on Mar. 23, Knut has become an animal superstar—and a money factory. Some 350,000 people have gone to see him at the zoo. Over Easter weekend, the crowds got so thick that visitors were limited to only seven minutes of viewing before being nudged along to the gift shop.

With visitor numbers more than twice the average, the Berlin Zoo has logged an additional €1 million ($1.352 million) in gate receipts since Knut started making his hour-long, twice-daily appearances. Add to that another €300,000 or so from sales of Knut merchandise such as postcards, key rings, and plush replicas.

Boom and Backlash

No wonder then that when the nonprofit Zoologischer Garten Berlin announced plans in late March to license the Knut brand worldwide, its thinly traded shares jumped 94% on the Berlin stock exchange. (They have since settled back some, but are still up 50% vs. last year.) Unveiling a logo of a polar bear embracing the globe with the tagline "Respect Habitats. Knut," zoo CEO Gerald Uhlich noted that most proceeds from brand licenses will be donated to nature conservation and research programs.

Inquiries already have poured in from the U.S., Taiwan, Japan, and China. One brand consultant figures revenues from Knut licensing could hit $14 million. Aside from stuffed animals, Knut candies, and packaged hotel tours, there's already a Knut DVD, plans for several Knut books—including one from Scholastic (SCHL) aimed at educating children about global warming—and talks under way about a potential Knut musical and movie.

At the same time, there are signs of a growing Knut backlash. Graffiti saying "Kill Knut" has popped up on walls in Berlin, and the zoo received an anonymous death threat in late April that forced it to beef up security. A recent poll by German opinion researcher Forsa, conducted for news channel N-TV, found just 29% of respondents were interested in news about the polar bear, while 30% said the coverage was "getting on their nerves."

Growing Pains

The biggest worry is that Knut's cuddly charm is starting to wear off as he grows up. The German press already has announced that Knut—who now weighs more than 18kg (nearly 40 lb.)—is "no longer as cute," as his muzzle lengthens to more adult proportions and his white fur starts to yellow. The zoo's chief veterinarian figures it's only a matter of three more months before Knut is too big and strong to play in public with his keeper, Thomas Doerflein. Already, Doerflein must wear special clothes and gloves to protect him from Knut's teeth and claws.

"At one year, Knut will weigh 90 to 100kg [198 to 229 lb.] and will be stronger than a human being," says Dr. Ragnar Kuehne, curator of mammals at the Berlin Zoo. "He will still be a small bear, but with the features of an adult, such as a longer nose." Most troubling, "his cuddly appearance will be gone."