Knut, the baby polar bear. 2006-2011

Knut was a polar bear born in captivity at the

Berlin Zoological Garden. Rejected by his

mother at birth, he was raised by zookeepers.

He was the first polar bear cub to survive past

infancy at the Berlin Zoo in more than 30 years.

At one time the subject of international

controversy, he became a tourist attraction and

commercial success. 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. Children protested outside the zoo, and e-mails and letters expressing sympathy for the

cub's life were sent from around the world.