Photo Gallery Tributes Keep Coming for Knut's Keeper
The family of Thomas Dörflein buried the former Berlin zookeeper at a private ceremony on Friday. Over the weekend, hundreds of fans flocked to a local cemetary to pay their final respects.
They left behind photos, poems, flowers and other memorabilia.
"Thomas, the angels are waiting for you," reads one ribbon.
A number of well-wishers left stuffed polar bears at Dörflein's grave.
People also continue to lay flowers for Dörflein at the gates of the Berlin Zoo.
Is he mourning, or scratching his back? Zookeepers don't believe polar bears are capable of mourning a loss. At best, they argue, Knut is curious why his keeper hasn't been by to visit.
When 44-year-old zookeeper Thomas Dörflein died suddenly of a heart attack in September, the world responded with shock and grief. Dörflein was famous for raising baby polar bear Knut by hand at the Berlin Zoo.
Knut was born in December 2006, and was rejected by his mother. After his brother died four days later, the zoo decided to hand raise the cub, and Dörflein was assigned the job. The two quickly developed a very close bond.
Knut is all grown up now, but he is still a star attraction at the zoo. Many Knut and Dörflein fans brought tributes in the form of flowers, photos and trinkets to Knut's enclosure following Dörflein's death.
