Thomas Dörflein
Thomas Dörflein (13 October 1963 – 22 September 2008) was a German zookeeper at the Berlin Zoological Garden for 26 years. After the baby polar bear Knut was abandoned by his mother shortly after his birth in 2006, Dörflein—who cared for both the zoo's wolves and the bears—was assigned as the cub's caretaker. As a result of the zoo's decision to raise Knut by hand, and the resultant close relationship between keeper and animal, Dörflein became a reluctant celebrity. Early life and career Dörflein was born in Berlin's Wedding neighborhood, but was raised in the city's Spandau district. He trained for three years to become a zookeeper, after which he took a job at the Berlin Zoo. At first he was responsible for the zoo's apes, predators and cliff-dwelling animals, but in 1987 he was put in charge of the bears and wolves. Knut On 5 December 2006, Knut was found at a research island and was rushed to Berlin Zoo for treatment. The cubs' mother rejected them for unknown reasons, abandoning them on a rock in the polar bear enclosure. Zookeepers rescued the cubs by scooping them out of the enclosure with an extended fishing net, but Knut's brother