Mar. 23 - Baby polar bear Knut, who finds himself at the centre of a media frenzy, makes his first public appearance at Berlin Zoo.
Germany's youngest celebrity, Knut the polar bear cub, made his much-anticipated first public appearance at a Berlin Zoo on Friday and appeared unphased by the media scrum surrounding his first excursion.
The three-and-a-half-month old ball of fur padded round the enclosure to the gasps and sighs of burly cameramen, hard-nosed reporters and children alike.
Fortified by a breakfast of porridge, he sniffed the grass and rolled in the dust before delighting the crowds by splashing in a pond.
Knut stole the heart of Berliners after he was born on December 5 but rejected by his mother Tosca.
A bearded zookeeper moved into the enclosure to look after him round the clock.
But the fate of Knut grabbed global attention after an animal rights campaigner said hand-rearing polar bears was a violation of animal rights.
German media interpreted his comments as a call for Knut to be put to sleep.
The bearded zookeeper accompanied Knut on his first outing, but where Knut will end up living remains to be decided.
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