World's biggest bachelor on his first blind date...

Knut, World’s Biggest Bachelor, Meets Bear Girlfriend
Phil Butler
2009 September, 10th

"News from Berlin the other day revealed our once small and cuddly Knut the polar bear on his first blind date. My how time flies. I remember doing one of the first stories about Knut when he came into the limelight, and now he is all grown up and ready for man, uh, I mean bear-hood. According to Spiegel Online, Knut has been “set up” with Italian super bear Gianna (after Italian singer Gianna Nannini) at his home at the Berlin Zoo. Will this be the end of Knut’s lonely life as the world’s most famous polar bear?

Gianna, who was moved to the Berlin Zoo from Munich, has been taking it easy and trying to get over the trip according to curator Heiner Klös. But today the two are slated to be introduced to see if there is a warm and fuzzy feeling between them, or if either Knut or Gianna seem unwilling to share the limelight. As many of you may know, Knut became the world’s most celebrated polar bear when he became the first born at the Berlin facility in over 30 years.

Having been ignored by his mother, Knut touched the hearts of the world when images of him alone, essentially orphaned surfaced in 2006. I for one remember writing about it and seeing these images saddened me as well. Knut has been seen as something of a lonely and sad figure. Abandoned by mom, losing his human father figure zoo keeper Thomas DörfleinSo last year, Knut’s story has been double sided. Well, perhaps this news is appropriate for the ongoing story. Later on this week or this month I guess we will all know if Knut and his new squeeze hit it off or not. From this writer’s perspective, I sure hope so. I will never forget how sad and lonely Knut looked in those first photos in 2006."

While Gianna had to adjust first to her new environment and was kept until September 22 inside, not eating much except of one or another cookie, the press and the public had a hard time waiting, while Knut seemed to take not much notice about the whole fuzz...beside a little make-up (just in case) and sniffing out ...the new scent behind the bars,......business as usual......during the day(s) after Gianna's arrival...Source:
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Photo credits: Monika (1,2,3), ChristinaM (4), DorisW (5), SylviaMickey (6)