Officials at the Berlin zoo have notified police that they have received a faxed death threat against Kute Knut, the polar bear cub that animal "rights" activists want killed at once. The death threat was anonymous.
"We were contacted by the zoo about a (threatening) letter it had received," said a police spokeswoman, adding officers had investigated but they did not believe it was serious.
Top-selling Bild newspaper said the zoo had received a hand-written fax from a suspected animal hater with the words: "Knut is dead! Thursday midday."
It also said the zoo had trebled the number of minders to 15 responsible for the safety of media star Knut, who has been on newspaper front pages and news shows across Germany and around the world for weeks.
"Death threat, police protection for Knut!" Bild wrote in bold letters on page one above a picture of the sad-looking polar bear cub peering out from behind a tree branch.
Bild also published a picture of a security guard in civilian clothes guarding Knut from behind a rock.
Of course, Knut whacked the zoo's resident panda recently according to our informants (who were last seen in a drunk tank in one of the seedier areas of Berlin.) But we have it on good authority that the polar bear mafia took on a major enemy when they allowed Knut to off his rival for the affection of the public. The Panda syndicate is taking a hard line on the killing of one of their own.
