Knut (5 December 2006– 19 March 2011) was a polar bear who was born in captivity at the Berlin Zoo. Because his mother rejected him when he was born, he was raised by zookeepers. People began to protest for him after a German newspaper called "Bild-Zeitung" quoted an animal rights activist saying the young cub had to die. Both children and adults supported him, and e-mails and letters asking the zoo to let the cub live were sent from around the world. Because of his fame, Knut became a tourist attraction and commercial success.