Cute Knut marks his first birthday

BERLIN — The Berlin Zoo’s famous polar bear Knut, who was rejected by his mother but went on to win the hearts of millions around the world, celebrated his first birthday Wednesday with more than 2,000 well-wishers.

But Knut — no longer a tiny cub, thanks partly to his penchant for croissants — probably didn’t get a taste of his own giant birthday cake, made with 300 eggs and 22 pounds of marzipan. He now tips the scales at more than 240 pounds and has been on a diet since July.

His special treat, instead, was a healthier concoction of fresh fruit, vegetables and rice, topped with a toy wooden candle.

The Berlin Zoo pulled out all the stops to honor its star attraction, which has gone from a fluffy white powderpuff of a cub to a full-grown polar bear with a cheeky curiosity and a penchant for muddying his coat by rolling in the dirt.

Children were given free entry to the zoo, and proceeds from sales of slices of the huge cake will go toward the zoo’s foundation, officials said.

“He’s so dirty! They should have given him a bath,” said 5-year-old Leni Schmidt, who came with her mother and a friend.

The zoo estimated some 2,000 people had visited the birthday bear by noon and a steady stream were still heading toward his pen.

Yet Knut seemed more interested in playing with his toy candle and licking the crumbs from the platter that bore his birthday treat.

The zoo said the Knut craze has generated up to $14 million over the past year through ticket sales that have more than doubled and the licensing of Knut toys, books and other trinkets.

Knut was abandoned at birth, along with his twin brother, who survived a couple days. By the time Knut was 3 months old and had his own fan club, he had been photographed for the cover of Vanity Fair — and attracted hundreds of thousands to the zoo.

Now that he is grown, zoo officials say they do not have room to keep him permanently and are considering other offers from zoos in Europe, with an eye to finding him a mate.