Fritz, above, is three months old and already a star at Berlin’s Tierpark Zoo, which hopes he’ll grow up to be as loved—and lucrative—as Knut, the beloved polar bear of the rival Berlin Zoo, who died in 2011.
Knut, who was abandoned by his mother at birth, was hand-raised in the Berlin Zoo, located in former West Berlin. He brought millions of visitors, and a profitable trade in souvenirs and other merchandise. He appeared on postage stamps, and a statue of him stands in the zoo.
The new favorite, named Fritz in a local radio contest, lives in the city’s other major zoo, in the former East Berlin. At three months, he’s passed a crucial mark for survival and is now more visible to visitors.
Note to readers: If you think that’s a pretty thin story, just think of it as an opportunity for a very cute animal picture to appear!
