Photograph by babschi

It seems that Knut, Berlin’s über-cute polar bear cub, is alive and well—and despite the opinion of some animal-rights activists that he should have been killed rather than humanized. Three-month-old Knut made his public debut at the Berlin Zoo last weekend to the adulation of large crowds of children and an international media feeding frenzy. The little fluffball seems to be a natural star and all the attention didn’t faze him a bit.

Good thing, because the Berlin Zoo is banking on a bonanza of visitors this summer to come see Knut in action. He will be out every day from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

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Photograph by F-power

How cute is Knut? The three-month-old polar bear cub at the Berlin Zoo is adorable enough to have become the darling of the city, which is waiting with bated breath for the roly-poly little guy’s public debut any day now. He’s gotten plenty of international attention too, and has even been photographed by Annie Leibovitz.

But some animal-rights activists have raised worldwide ire by saying that the cub should have been killed rather than reared by humans. Given his atypical rearing, he will have a lifelong bear behavioral disorder. The cub was abandoned by his mother at birth. He is being cared for full time by keeper Thomas Dörflein, who feeds him from a bottle and even has a bed near the baby bear’s crate.

Zoo officials say there is no way they are even considering doing away with the first polar bear to be born in the zoo in 30 years. Knut fans can breathe a sigh of relief and look forward to plenty more precious photos to ooh and ahh over.

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