Berlin's polar bear Knut starts celebrity diet

BERLIN (Reuters Life!) - Knut, Berlin Zoo's much loved polar bear, has grown too fat and is starting his own celebrity diet, a zoo doctor said on Tuesday.

In a dramatic transformation from the cuddly 800 g (1.8 lbs) ball of fur born just over seven months ago, the bear has now reached a hefty 60 kilos (130 lbs), a weight which doctor Andreas Ochs believes may pose risks to his health.

"Knut likes to snack. And when I'm feeding the other polar bears, he often grabs a fish for himself," Knut's keeper Thomas Doerflein told German newspaper Bild.

But from now on Knut will follow a strict regime. His normal four portions of porridge a day will be stripped down to two, and there will be no more treats such as croissants and extra helpings of fish and meat.

The bear will also begin an expanded exercise program to compensate for the limits of his enclosure compared to his natural environment.

Knut was rejected by his mother, Tosca, and hit the headlines after an animal rights campaigner said hand-rearing polar bears violated animal rights, a comment which German newspapers interpreted as a call for the cub to be put down.

Since then, Knut has become a global brand. He has his own song, DVD and book deal and features in range of merchandise from soft toys to T-shirts.