The legend of the polar bear Knut, who became the darling of the zoological world before his death two years ago, is to live to tell the tale in a lifesize model to be unveiled on the weekend.
The model of the bear will go on display on the Natural History Museum in Berlin and is predicted to draw thousands of fans. The museum will open a unique entrance only for the Knut visitors, who can be ready to see the model without cost.
The model, manufactured from a dermoplastic, covered with Knut’s fur and given glass eyes, was moulded from the bear’s corpse after the speculation of stuffing the body have been deemed disrespectful.
Museum staff said Knut was first modelled in clay, and from this model plates were created and full of plaster, which was later replaced by a polyurethane foam. The tactic is increasingly replacing the normal taxidermy procedure.
Knut became one of the vital biggest stars of the animal world after being rejected at birth by his mother, Tosca, a retired circus bear. His brother died but Knut was rescued by zoo staff in an operation that split opinions within the animal rights world, with several organisations saying it could were better to have let the bear die.
Instead, the animal was stated by humans, and have become Berlin zoo’s star attraction. Knut’s first public appearance, in December 2006 at only a month old, was a world media sensation, attracting thousands of tourists.
Knut became essentially the mostsome of the most commercially successful – for the zoo, no less than – animal in history. His image was reproduced on bedware and T-shirts, and as everything from soft toys to ice scrapers. He became a UN climate change symbol, or even appeared at the cover of self-importance Fair with Leonardo DiCaprio.
But the bear was diagnosed with psychological problems early on. He died in front of holiday makers in March 2011 when he fell into the pond in his enclosure and drowned. A postmortem examination diagnosed a brain defect.
Johannes Vogel, the recent general director of the Natural History Museum, said he hoped Knut would attract a brand new wave of museum-goers. “We’re accustomed to the strong symbolism this animal possesses,” he said. “He stands for the safety of an endangered species and the fight against global climate change.”
A museum spokeswoman, Gesine Steiner, said the model was “the real thing”, although Knut had not been stuffed.
“You have to indicate that we’ve got not stuffed Knut,” she said. “Rather, it is a plastic form, true to the unique and covered with Knut’s own fur.”
The museum didn’t say what had become of Knut’s flesh but said his bones were being preserved separately.
