Whether the animals are thronged with admirers like Berlin polar bear Knut or embroiled in infamy like San Francisco tiger Tatiana, the cult of celebrity has reached the zoo. In the strange world of animal fame, furry celebs earn points for tragic backstory and fleeting cuteness. Family dramas and reproductive woes are on even more blatant display than among human stars, with lawsuits or movie deals close on their heels.http://www.newser.com/2008 - Newseren-usNewser Feed GeneratorWed, 19 Nov 2008 12:07:00 CSThttp://www.newser.com/story/41323/zoo-rescues-bear-trapped-in-moat.html?refid=rss_all_defaultFed-up zookeepers took drastic action today to rescue Zero the polar bear from the moat he’s been trapped in since Oct. 13, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports. Milwaukee County Zoo officials used tranquilizer darts to subdue the 1,100-pound beast, then had a crane lift him to safety. “Things were hanging on for a little bit too long,” a spokesman explained.http://www.newser.com/story/41323/zoo-rescues-bear-trapped-in-moat.html?refid=rss_all_defaultThu, 30 Oct 2008 11:31:49 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/41035/zoo-tries-to-lure-stranded-polar-bear-out-of-moat.html?refid=rss_all_defaultStaff members at the Milwaukee County Zoo are taking new action to rescue a polar bear named Zero who has been stuck in the moat that surrounds his habitat for 2 weeks, the Journal Sentinel reports. Using a crane, handlers lowered a big plastic crate filled with Zero’s favorite treats—apples with peanut butter and herring—to the bottom of the moat.http://www.newser.com/story/41035/zoo-tries-to-lure-stranded-polar-bear-out-of-moat.html?refid=rss_all_defaultMon, 27 Oct 2008 15:46:18 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/38185/heart-attack-killed-knut-keeper.html?refid=rss_all_defaultBerlin prosecutors said an autopsy today showed that Thomas Doerflein, the zookeeper who gained fame for hand-rearing the polar bear cub Knut, died of a heart attack. The city's mayor paid tribute to him for writing Berlin history. "Other causes of death, in particular involvement by another party, are ruled out from a medical point of view," Berlin prosecutors said.http://www.newser.com/story/38185/heart-attack-killed-knut-keeper.html?refid=rss_all_defaultTue, 23 Sep 2008 12:19:20 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/38101/knuts-surrogate-dad-dead-at-44.html?refid=rss_all_defaultThomas Dörflein, the Berlin zookeeper who raised polar bear Knut after his mother rejected him, was found dead in his apartment today, Der Spiegel reports. He was 44. Authorities said there was no evidence of foul play; Dörflein had been very sick. The keeper’s contact with Knut was cut off almost a year ago when the cub became too big to safely play with.http://www.newser.com/story/38101/knuts-surrogate-dad-dead-at-44.html?refid=rss_all_defaultMon, 22 Sep 2008 15:00:30 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/38094/missing-5-year-old-20-inches-long-big-nose.html?refid=rss_all_defaultTae the anteater is on the run—again. Dozens of humans are searching for the 5-year-old, a resident of Tokyo's Sunshine International Aquarium who engineered a jailbreak Saturday by opening a sliding door, the Asahi Shimbun reports. Tae previously enjoyed a taste of freedom in 2005, when she skipped out of the aquarium for a day.http://www.newser.com/story/38094/missing-5-year-old-20-inches-long-big-nose.html?refid=rss_all_defaultMon, 22 Sep 2008 13:12:32 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/36848/zoos-polar-bears-go-green.html?refid=rss_all_defaultPolar bears at a Japanese zoo are turning green, AP reports. Visitors to Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Nagoya are stunned by big green patches on the bears' fur, caused by algae. The algae was picked up by swimming in the bear pond and is now growing deep within the animals' fur.http://www.newser.com/story/36848/zoos-polar-bears-go-green.html?refid=rss_all_defaultMon, 08 Sep 2008 1:05:03 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/36283/atlanta-panda-now-a-2-time-mama.html?refid=rss_all_defaultA giant panda in Zoo Atlanta became a mommy for the second time last night, and a twin might even be on the way, WSB Atlanta reports. Lun Lun gave birth at 10:10pm, the first panda in the US to do so this year. She previously gave birth in 2006. “We are delighted, proud and elated,” the zoo’s president says.http://www.newser.com/story/36283/atlanta-panda-now-a-2-time-mama.html?refid=rss_all_defaultSun, 31 Aug 2008 13:48:51 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/35206/two-wheeled-turtle-finds-love.html?refid=rss_all_defaultA turtle that lost the use of her hind legs has come out of her shell since being fitted with a set of rear wheels, reports AP. The 55-pound turtle, Arava, has even begun mating with an amorous male. The 10-year-old spurred tortoise was fitted with a customized skateboard by officials at the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo. It's not clear what caused her paralysis.http://www.newser.com/story/35206/two-wheeled-turtle-finds-love.html?refid=rss_all_defaultTue, 19 Aug 2008 1:24:23 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/34046/dc-zoo-evicting-hippo.html?refid=rss_all_defaultThe National Zoo is adding a new elephant sanctuary, reports the Washington Post, and the move is putting its sole Nile hippopotamus, Happy, out on the street in a year or so. The zoo will hold onto its pygmy hippos, but is more committed to Asian elephant programs. "You only have so much space available. We don't have a strong hippopotamus program right now," said a zoo spokesman.http://www.newser.com/story/34046/dc-zoo-evicting-hippo.html?refid=rss_all_defaultSun, 03 Aug 2008 12:16:10 CDT