R.I.P. Knut: Fans Wonder How Star Polar Bear Died

March 20, 2011— -- "Knutmania" is sweeping the globe again, as fans of the popular polar bear Knut mourn his unexpected death this weekend. He was 4.

The cuddly polar bear first pawed his way to the public's attention in 2006, when his mother rejected him days after his birth at the Berlin Zoo. In the years that followed, he inspired fan clubs and Facebook groups. He even graced the cover of Vanity Fair magazine.

But the celebrity bear died at the Berlin Zoo Saturday, in front of hundreds of visitors, the Associated Press reported.

The sad news has sparked a wave of tributes online, with fans around the world taking to Twitter and Facebook to memorialize the famous bear. But it has also sparked curiosity among followers about why Knut died so young when polar bears are expected to live 15 to 20 years, or longer.

On Twitter, where Knut was a trending topic Sunday, several Knut fans tweeted "how did he die?"

Heiner Kloes, Knut's keeper at the Berlin Zoo, told the Associated Press, "He was by himself in his compound, he was in the water, and then he was dead. ...He was not sick, we don't know why he died."

Scientists say it's impossible to know what led to Knut's death until after the postmortem, which zoo officials said will take place Monday. They acknowledged that it is unusual for polar bears to die in captivity at such a young age.

"It's a little bit surprising," said Peter Ewins, an arctic species specialist with the World Wildlife Fund. "In captivity, polar bears can live longer than in the wild; to 25 or 30. Even more than 30 years old because they're not exposed to the elements and hard realities of life in the wild."

For polar bears in the wild, the first real hurdle is birth, and some animals continue to struggle in their first year or two of life. But, at 4, Knut would have been like an 18-year-old human, Ewins said.

"He'd be coming into breeding age," he said. "He's supposed to have been in his prime."