Knut is dangerous
The week's news at a glance.
Berlin
Knut, an adorable polar bear cub who has become a national star, has grown too big to play. Knut and the Berlin zookeeper who raised him, Thomas Dörflein, have been delighting audiences since March with their twice-daily performances, usually wrestling or swimming together. In the past few weeks, though, Dörflein had been getting badly bruised in the encounters, so the zoo decided to call off the shows. Dörflein said he was relieved to stop performing with the bear. He said he’d become such a celebrity across Germany that he was getting marriage proposals from total strangers. “But this doesn’t mean that I will never play with Knut again,” he said. “I am always there for him.”
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
An ingredient in Coca-Cola may be funding Sudan's war
Under the Radar Global trade in gum arabic centres on the African nation – and proceeds bankroll conflict between the army and paramilitary rebels
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Homes for multi-generational families
Feature Featuring a 1900 Jacobean-style mansion in Massachusetts and a 22.5-acre compound in California
By The Week US Published
-
The Week contest: Foot PSA
Puzzles and Quizzes
By The Week US Published