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BERLIN - He was rejected by his mother, raised by a devoted keeper and achieved global stardom when an animal rights activist was misquoted as saying he should be put down.
Now Knut, the polar bear born in Berlin Zoo just before Christmas, is turning out to be a nice little money-spinner for his owners.
When the zoo officially registered Knut as a brand trademark, its shares doubled in value.
Knut merchandise is selling out at the zoo gift shop, earning about €730,000 ($1.3 million) to date. Knut has been seen by half a million visitors since his first public appearance in late March, with peak crowds limited to seven minutes' viewing time each.
The zoo has received business proposals from the US, Taiwan, Japan and China, with one brand consultant estimating revenues from Knut licensing could hit €14.5 million.
With the sweets, the stuffed replicas, the package tours, a book by a bestselling US author and a DVD, there are reportedly talks about a Knut musical and movie.
But the future could be problematic. In a year, Knut will weigh about 100kg and his cuddly looks will be gone. And so, possibly, will the cash.
-OBSERVER
