Hey, remember Knut? He was the high-profile, environmental poster-bear who made an appearance on the cover of Vanity Fair with Leonardo diCaprio during “Knut-mania,” a time when Europeans flocked by the millions to see him in his Berlin zoo. He was so hot that a neighboring animal died and no one noticed.
The appeal of “Cute Knut” was in his miniature size; he was a cute little white fuzzball who romped around with his keeper. But, times are changing. The paparazzi attention has subsided and the chubby cub has been asked to slim down. It’s all summed up in a Der Spiegel headline: “Fatty Knut Put on Strict Diet.“
Knut’s caretakers claim he weighs 132 lbs, but they’re not sure because their scale only goes up to 110 lbs. Apparently, they’re keeping a vigilant watch on him to ensure Knut doesn’t steal scraps from the kitchen table while his meals are being prepared.
Critiques of his appearance, tales of bad behavior—Lindsay Lohan could have told him such is the life of a media darling.
