GERMANY: 4-month-old polar bear makes first public appearance at German zoo reported live on national television

Record ID: 497579

  • Title: GERMANY: 4-month-old polar bear makes first public appearance at German zoo reported live on national television
  • Date: 8th April 2008
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (German) CHIARA BRAUN, 9-YEAR-OLD FLOCKE FAN SAYING: "I saw her (Flocke) in the newspaper a few times and made clippings. She looked so cute and she even played a little bit."
  • Embargoed: 23rd April 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: Environment / Natural World,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVA4UHA850LRVD5106KGFN317BDZ
  • Story Text: Four-month-old German polar bear "Flocke" makes her first public appearance at Nuremberg zoo, observed by dozens of reporters who broadcast live television pictures of the country's latest media star.
    A fourth-month-old polar bear cub which is being hand-reared has made its first public appearance at a southern German zoo on Tuesday (April 9) as several national television stations broadcast live images of the event.

    "Flocke," or flake, was seen entering its outdoor enclosure with one of its keepers through a gate shortly after 3 p.m. (1300 GMT) as dozens of reporters and photographers stood by.
    The public will be able to see Flocke from Wednesday (April 9) at 9:00 a.m. (0700 GMT).
    Flocke took over the role of the country's best known polar bear from "Knut" in Berlin as German hysteria and the media hype over hand-reared polar bear cubs is increasing -- just as the interest in Knut is rapidly decreasing.
    Flocke was born in Nuremberg on December 11, 2007 and her keepers decided soon after the polar bear's birth that mother "Vera" was unfit to raise her own baby without harming it.
    Flocke, which now weighs 21 kilograms, has four keepers to prevent it becoming attached to just one person, which could lead to it adopting human behaviour, zoo officials said earlier.
    Within sight of Flocke's outdoor enclosure, two animal rights activists held up placards and shouted slogans condemning the separation of the cub from its mother.
    The male demonstrator and a woman left the scene immediately after zoo officials asked them to stop the protest.
    Earlier on Tuesday, one of Flocke's keepers reported on the polar bear's progress, saying that "when we separated Flocke from her mother she weighed 1.7 kilograms."
    Keeper Harald Hager said the baby bear "now weighs more than 21 kilograms. That's a most considerable and fast growth that Flocke achieved."
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: Footage contains identifiable children: users must ensure that they comply with local laws and regulations governing the publishing of this material.
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