Yeaaah …… finally I have a chance to visit Knut, though
he is not the real Knut, just a full-sized sculpture covered in Knut's fur. It's more than enough for me. I can't believe my eyes, I was in front of Knut's sculpture, it's him!! So here is that guy: the most famous polar bear on earth!!
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| Knut's sculpture in Berlin Zoological Garden |
Knut is the orphan polar bear born in captivity, at the Berlin Zoological Garden in the end of 2006. He almost dies because his mother, Tosca doesn’t want him and his un-named brother, till the zookeeper ThomasDörflein took care of those two cubs. Sadly, Knut’s brother doesn’t survive and Knut was becoming the first born polar bear’s cub survive in the zoo. So he was an animal superstar, ever more than we can imagine, the world was in Knutmania.
Knut was an animal celebrity; everybody loves him and wanna see the
cute white furry cub in action. He was a mass-media lover and made a controversy
for his overwhelmed debut in front of public. In general, Knut lives happily almost ever
after until he found dead in 2011. The world was in grief, and I was very
disappointed because have not had time to see him alive.
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| Knut: the animal superstar |
Yup, finally the chance come to me. Last May I was actually in Berlin for a meeting on deforestation,
but of course as you expect, between the meeting sessions I took off for couple hours just to
visit Knut’s sculpture in his current house, natural history museum (Museum fürNaturkunde). I would not let this opportunity swept away, it’s been years I’m
waiting for this. If I can’t see him when he was alive I am good with his
sculpture with his real fur!!
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| Museum fur Naturkunde: place for Knut right now |
I admit that I have strong passion to bear since I was a kid, though
bear is not top animal in my country. But the cute innocent bear face with mounds
of fat and fur is perfect for hugging. Not including that this animal is smart, real opportunist and real survivor. I do love bear, can’t say no to them. Especially for polar bear, which become a symbol for climate change.
I still remember my bad experience when the safari garden
in my country got the polar bear on the first time. I was too excited to see the
polar bear, begging to see the beast direct in his cage and carelessly left the
zookeeper behind. Unfortunately the bear did not like me around, did not
recognize the smell of stranger, so then he bumps his cage to express his displeasure. I
was shock and scared to death, stunning in front of giant vibrating gate banged
by the angry beast inside. I was petrified until the zookeeper who came later helps
me walk away.
Yet when I came to US and seen the brown (grizzly) and
black bear in their natural habitat, I grow my passion to them stronger and
stronger. Let elaborate the bear passion inside me later, now let’s talks about
Knut, the mini Knut as in below picture.
I still have Knut (doll of Knut) sitting in my office’s room in US. Yup, I
thought I will come back there soon so I left everything fun untouched. But life
doesn’t work as always we expect. My office here in my home country want me back
to work right away, and yet no time for me to come back to US and pick up Knut (and
his friend: Cheburashka, the orangutan and Lego of Shelob) back to Indonesia. Look, the mini Knut is still waiting
for me (with his friends sit nicely on the shelf).
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| Reflection of Mini Knut on my office's window |
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| Mini Knut is waiting for me to pick him up |
Yet pray for me, so that I have chance to go back to US as soon as possible, and pick up everything left behind, including Knut. He will be my "cute" mascot, as I am now working on the issue of climate change.
Good night mini Knut.
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